Trump Threatens NBC, ABC Licenses Over Alleged Bias

U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his feud with major news networks, threatening to support the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in revoking broadcast licenses for NBC and ABC, labeling them “two of the worst and most biased networks in history.” In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump claimed the networks produce “97% BAD STORIES” about him, despite what he described as a highly popular presidency, and called them “an arm of the Democrat Party” and a “threat to our Democracy.”

Trump’s remarks follow his history of targeting media outlets, including a $15 million defamation settlement with ABC in 2024 and a $16 million settlement with CBS in July 2025, just before the FCC approved a merger between CBS’s parent, Paramount Global, and Skydance Media. He previously challenged NBC’s licenses in 2017 over a report alleging he sought a larger U.S. nuclear arsenal, a claim he denied.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has initiated probes into Comcast’s diversity programs and NBC’s ties with local affiliates, though the FCC’s authority to revoke licenses over content is limited by First Amendment protections, as noted by former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in 2017 and current Chair Jessica Rosenworcel in 2024. NBC, owned by Comcast’s NBCUniversal, and ABC, under The Walt Disney Company, operate local stations requiring periodic FCC license renewals, unlike cable networks like MSNBC or CNN.

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A recent Economist/YouGov poll (August 15-18) showed 56% disapproval of Trump’s presidency against 40% approval, with a 3.5% margin of error, contradicting his claims of widespread popularity. Posts on X, including from @MarioNawfal and @PolymarketIntel, amplified Trump’s call for license revocation, with some like @BenjaminSWeiss noting the FCC does not license networks directly.

Trump’s threats, while legally questionable, signal ongoing tensions with media, raising concerns about press freedom as he leverages regulatory pressure.

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