Warning to broadcasters follows indefinite suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! after criticism from FCC Chairman and network affiliates.
President Donald Trump has suggested that television networks that regularly criticize him should face regulatory action, including the potential revocation of their broadcast licenses.
The president’s remarks came during a press conference on Thursday, just hours after ABC announced the indefinite suspension of its late-night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“They’re 97% against, they give me wholly bad publicity… I mean, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away,” Trump told reporters. “When you have a network and you have evening shows and all they do is hit Trump…They’re not allowed to do that.”
The president’s comments arrive on the heels of a series of events that have brought the relationship between media, politics, and corporate interests into sharp focus.
On Wednesday evening, ABC abruptly suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! following a firestorm of controversy over comments host Jimmy Kimmel made about the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kimmel had criticized “MAGA figures” for politicizing Kirk’s death, sparking outrage among conservative activists and a public rebuke from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr.
Carr, a Trump appointee, publicly criticized Kimmel’s remarks and suggested potential regulatory consequences for the network. The suspension by ABC was swiftly praised by President Trump.
The timing of the decision has raised questions about corporate and regulatory pressures. The move coincides with Nexstar Media Group’s pending $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, a deal that is subject to FCC approval. Reports indicate that ABC affiliates, including Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group, influenced the network’s decision to suspend Kimmel’s show amid ongoing merger negotiations.
While the suspension has been celebrated by many on the political right as a long-overdue consequence for what they call “progressive-led cancellations,” it has drawn significant backlash from the left. Major Hollywood unions and progressive groups are pushing back, accusing ABC and its affiliates of censorship and calling for a boycott of Disney properties, ABC’s parent company.
During a press conference with UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer, President Trump offered a different take on the suspension, suggesting that Kimmel’s removal was not due to political pressure.
“Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump said. This statement conflicts with reports from media insiders who link the decision to the broader pressures facing the network and its affiliates.
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