Former President Donald Trump is intensifying his campaign rhetoric by demanding ABC revoke its broadcasting license following what many observers consider a significant defeat in the last presidential debate. In response, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) stated that it does not revoke broadcasting licenses simply because a candidate disagrees with the content.
After the debate on the 10th, Trump criticized ABC for what he perceived as biased coverage. “They ought to take away their license for the way they did that,” he asserted immediately after the event. In a subsequent phone interview with Fox News, Trump went further, labeling the network as “dishonest” and accusing it of applying stricter standards to him than other candidates. He said that ABC “lost a lot of credibility” and that they “should be embarrassed,” insisting that ABC should lose its broadcasting license.
His complaints seem to stem from how ABC handled the debate. During the debate, ABC fact-checked the candidates’ statements. While Harris received no corrections, Trump was given five.
Trump’s grievances center on ABC’s real-time fact-checking during the debate. While Harris received no corrections, Trump had five of his statements challenged for inaccuracies. Among these were his claims that some states allow abortions at nine months and allow to “execute” the babies, and regarding immigration, “In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in, they are eating the cats.” He also argued that crime rates have surged under the Biden administration—all of which ABC officials have declared untrue.
Following the controversy over Trump’s statements about revoking ABC’s license, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel stated, “The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commission does not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage.”
Democratic Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyden condemned Trump’s remarks, arguing that such threats undermine constitutional protections and the FCC’s mandate. The New Republic echoed these concerns on September 12, warning that “anyone concerned about press freedom should view this incident as a warning of what could happen during Trump’s second term.”
The Washington Post reported concerns among experts that if reelected, Trump might attempt to regulate or censor critical news outlets. Andrew Jay Schwartzman, a senior counsel at the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, described Trump’s comments as absurd and pointed out to the publication that denying a broadcasting license renewal based on program content would violate the Constitution.
Despite Trump’s strong opposition, revoking ABC’s license will not be easy. The FCC consists of three members from the ruling party and two from the opposition. The analysts argue that the Republican members are unlikely to support revoking a broadcasting license. Schwartzman observed that Republican members are generally more inclined to protect broadcasters than to revoke licenses. He also noted that it remains uncertain whether the FCC would act in accordance with Trump’s wishes, even if he were to win the election.
This incident is not Trump’s first attempt to target media outlets. Last September, he called for an investigation into Comcast, owner of NBC and MSNBC, accusing them of “treason” for their coverage. In October of the previous year, he criticized NBC for interviewing President Biden, questioning, “With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!”
Steve Benen, the producer of MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show, wrote in an MSNBC piece last November that, given America’s status as a free country, Trump is free to criticize MSNBC if he chooses. However, he also noted that Trump tends to respond aggressively to MSNBC, labeling its journalism as “illegal.” Benen emphasized that while such intimidation tactics might work in some countries, they do not align with American principles.
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