Message #49942

[Jitendra Hydonus]

ABC and NBC refused to air Donald Trump's speech live during prime time on Thursday. Now, Trump says that the networks should lose their licenses.

ABC and NBC didn't air Trump's speech, in which he falsely claimed that China illegally accessed millions of voter files as part of a broader effort to manipulate U.S. elections in 2018 and 2020.

This is Trump's latest attack on the networks, but he's been going after them the whole time he's been in office.

Trump has long spoken about revoking the broadcast licenses of TV networks whose news coverage he doesn't like. He posted on social media that networks that are "almost 100% negative" in their coverage should have their broadcast licenses "terminated."
And Trump's really had it in for ABC: Last March, Trump's FCC Chairman Brendan Carr opened an investigation into ABC and its parent company Disney, to see if they're "promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination." Last September, he ordered ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel. In April, Trump demanded that Kimmel be "immediately fired" by ABC and Disney. The very next day, Carr ordered an early review of Disney's broadcast licenses, which weren't actually due for review until 2028.
Now, he's going so far as to call not airing his speeches fraud, saying: "NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech. Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses."
ABC and NBC are two of America's most prominent, long-running, and esteemed broadcast networks. If they're shut down or become controlled by the Trump administration, it would set a chilling precedent and push our country toward authoritarianism.

Please sign our petition to support ABC and NBC. Tell them:
Freedom of the press is protected in the Constitution. Stand strong and continue to fight back against Trump's attacks! You serve the people, not a president.

ABC and NBC didn't air Trump's speech, in which he falsely claimed that China illegally accessed millions of voter files as part of a broader effort to manipulate U.S. elections in 2018 and 2020.