Donald Trump has floated the idea of revoking US television networks’ broadcast licenses if they air what he described as overwhelmingly negative coverage of his presidency.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on his return from a state visit to the UK, the president complained that networks were “97% against me” despite what he called a sweeping 2024 victory. “I won all seven swing states, popular vote, I won everything. And they’re 97% against, they give me wholly bad publicity,” Trump said. “I mean, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”
The president suggested that networks should be required to reapply for licenses periodically, and that excluding conservative voices could also be grounds for losing approval. “All they do is hit Trump,” he said. “They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to do that. They’re an arm of the Democrat Party.”
He said any such moves would fall to the Federal Communications Commission, and voiced confidence in its chairman Brendan Carr, calling him “outstanding” and “a patriot.”
The comments come amid a simmering row over late-night television, with Trump repeatedly attacking comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who has mocked him on air. On Thursday Trump dismissed Kimmel as a “whack job” with “zero talent.”
The threat to broadcasters is likely to intensify debate over press freedom and the role of regulators under Trump, who has long railed against what he calls “fake news” media.
