Accusations of Hostile Coverage
Donald Trump has sharpened his rhetoric against the press, singling out ABC News and NBC News. He charged the broadcasters with delivering almost exclusively negative stories and insisted they should “pay a steep penalty.” On Truth Social, Trump claimed that virtually all reporting about him was unfavorable, despite what he described as strong public support. He also argued that Republicans and conservatives were consistently portrayed in an unbalanced way.
Pressure on the FCC
Citing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the U.S. authority overseeing broadcast operations, Trump said both outlets act as “extensions of the Democratic Party.” He demanded that their broadcast rights be stripped, or at the very least that they be required to pay heavily for access to what he called “the nation’s most valuable airwaves.” He denounced ABC and NBC as “two of the most biased and corrupt broadcasters on the globe” and labeled them “a direct threat to democracy.”
Legal Safeguards for Journalism
In the United States, broadcast licenses are typically granted for eight years and can only be rescinded in cases of major violations—not for critical or unfavorable coverage. The First Amendment protects press freedom. Still, during Trump’s second presidential term, the FCC has increasingly been perceived as an instrument for advancing his political agenda. He named Republican Brendan Carr as chairman shortly after his victory.
Clashes With Additional Media Organizations
Other news groups have also come under fire. The Wall Street Journal was barred from traveling with the president after publishing a story linking Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Associated Press likewise remains excluded from Air Force One after refusing to adopt Trump’s preferred renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
