President Donald Trump’s contentious relationship with mainstream media reached a new flashpoint last week when ABC News White House correspondent Mary Bruce pressed him with pointed questions about the Jamal Khashoggi murder and Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Trump’s response was characteristically explosive: the Federal Communications Commission should strip ABC of its broadcasting license for being a “crappy company.”
This latest outburst represents just the most recent salvo in Trump’s sustained campaign against television networks. According to comprehensive analysis by the Guardian, the president has called for network license revocations at least 28 times over the past eight years, wielding these threats as his preferred weapon against what he deems unfavorable coverage.
The scope of Trump’s media offensive is staggering. From his early presidency through his current term, he has systematically targeted every major network – ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN – using social media posts, campaign rallies, interviews, and official statements to demand their licenses be revoked or their programming terminated.
However, Trump’s understanding of broadcast regulation appears fundamentally flawed. The FCC doesn’t actually license national networks directly. Instead, it oversees the licensing of local television stations that networks either own or maintain affiliate agreements with. This technical detail hasn’t deterred the president from repeatedly invoking license revocation as his preferred form of media punishment.
Anna M. Gomez, the lone Democrat serving on the FCC, addressed Trump’s threats following a recent commission meeting. “Aside from the ability to make things difficult for those we retaliate, this FCC is powerless to truly retaliate against a news network,” she explained, noting that no local station licenses face renewal “any time soon.”
The chronology of Trump’s threats reveals an escalating pattern of media hostility that intensified during election periods and major controversies. His first documented threat came in October 2017, when he declared on Twitter: “Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!”
The attacks gained momentum throughout 2024, particularly targeting CBS and its flagship program “60 Minutes” over interview editing practices. Trump repeatedly characterized the network’s editing choices as “the Greatest Fraud in Broadcast History” and demanded CBS “lose its license” and have it “bid out to the Highest Bidder.”
His sustained assault on CBS included multiple campaign rally appearances where he declared: “60 Minutes should be taken off the air for what they’ve done. You know what else? They should lose their license. They have licenses, these networks. They’re worth billions of dollars, but the one thing is it says you have to be honest.”
The president’s media criticism has consistently centered on claims of biased coverage. During Air Force One comments in September 2025, Trump cited statistics claiming networks provided “97% negative” coverage of his administration, arguing this bias justified license revocation. “I read someplace that the networks were 97% against me. I get 97% negative, and yet I won it easily,” he stated, suggesting FCC Chairman Brendan Carr should investigate.
Trump’s threats have extended beyond general bias claims to specific programming decisions. He has repeatedly accused networks of “election interference” through their coverage choices, particularly targeting debate moderators and interview editing practices. His criticism of ABC’s presidential debate moderation led to demands that “ABC’s license should be TERMINATED” over allegations that questions were provided to opponents in advance.
The president has also attempted to leverage economic arguments against networks, repeatedly emphasizing that broadcast licenses are “worth billions of dollars” while networks “pay nothing” for access to public airwaves. This economic framing appears designed to justify license revocation as a proportionate response to what he considers editorial misconduct.
Throughout 2025, Trump has maintained his aggressive stance toward media outlets, invoking FCC Chairman Brendan Carr by name in several threats. In April, he posted on Truth Social: “Hopefully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as headed by its Highly Respected Chairman, Brendan Carr, will impose the maximum fines and punishment, which is substantial, for their unlawful and illegal behavior.”
The president’s most recent confrontation with ABC’s Mary Bruce demonstrates his continued willingness to weaponize regulatory threats against journalists asking challenging questions. When pressed about sensitive topics during the bilateral meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump immediately pivoted to attacking the network’s credibility and demanding license revocation.
Media law experts note that presidential threats against broadcast licenses represent unprecedented challenges to press freedom, even if the technical mechanisms for implementing such threats remain limited. The pattern reveals a systematic approach to intimidating news organizations through regulatory pressure, regardless of the practical feasibility of license revocation.
As Trump’s presidency continues, his conflict with mainstream media shows no signs of abating. The comprehensive record of 28 license revocation threats over eight years illustrates a sustained campaign that has transformed from occasional criticism into a central feature of his political messaging strategy.
The ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and major networks highlight broader questions about press freedom, regulatory authority, and the role of government oversight in broadcast journalism. While the FCC’s actual power to revoke network licenses remains limited, the president’s repeated threats continue to generate controversy and concern among media organizations and press freedom advocates.
