Crucial Quote
“Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,” the lawsuit alleges. It goes on to allege if the administration accomplishes its goal of revoking ABC’s broadcast licenses, “the message to every media company in the country will be unmistakable: tell only the stories the Administration deems favorable, or face the coercive machinery of the federal government. In such a world, the press could in no way be described as free.”
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What to Watch for
ABC’s lawsuit notes the FCC could start the formal process to adjudicate the network’s broadcast licenses “any day now,” after previously asking for formal public comment on the issue. The network argued Tuesday that if it decides to review the licenses, it’s likely that “the only outcomes on the table are adverse to Plaintiffs”—whether that’s pulling networks off the air entirely, or “intentionally prolong[ing] the adjudicative process, miring ABC in years of costly litigation.” The lawsuit asks for the court to hold a “speedy hearing” and block the FCC from moving forward with license renewal proceedings while the litigation proceeds.
Surprising Fact
ABC notes in its lawsuit that even Republican lawmakers allied with Trump have publicly opposed the Trump administration’s public threats against the network. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has said the FCC is acting like a “mafioso” by threatening ABC’s licenses, while Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said at a hearing earlier this month, “Sometimes the FCC scares me right now.” The GOP senator added, “I don’t like some of the stuff that is said on television, but what business is it of the FCC?”
FCC’s Actions Against ABC, Explained
Prior to Tuesday’s lawsuit, ABC alleges the FCC has taken several steps to carry out its alleged “retaliatory campaign,” including reviving a lawsuit against an ABC affiliate that had previously been dropped. Carr notified ABC in March 2025 he had requested an investigation into whether ABC and Disney had violated “FCC equal employment opportunity regulations by promoting invidious forms of DEI discrimination,” citing the company’s diversity efforts, and has repeatedly issued “voluminous requests” for information that are allegedly “unheard of in modern FCC practice.” The agency is separately investigating “The View” for allegedly violating requirements for networks to give equal time to competing political candidates, despite ABC arguing the program has long qualified for an exemption for “bona fide news interview” programs under that rule. That has resulted in ABC deciding not to bring on any political candidates in recent months, it alleged, for fear of the consequences that could arise. In April, the FCC then demanded ABC file early renewal applications for its affiliates, despite their renewal windows still being years away, and gave it only 30 days to prepare the applications, rather than the months the network is typically afforded. That request violates federal law and FCC regulations, ABC alleges.
What Have Trump And Brendan Carr Said About ABC?
Trump has long railed against networks that are critical to him and suggested their licenses should be taken away, saying at a 2020 campaign rally, “I keep saying if they’re reporting fake news, how come they can keep getting a license?” The president continued to attack ABC and other networks in the run-up to the 2024 election, particularly attacking ABC for its questions and fact-checking during a presidential debate and suggesting without evidence that it sent questions ahead of time to former Vice President Kamala Harris. If the network “did give the questions to Kamala, ABC’s license should be TERMINATED,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. His attacks have continued into his second term, with Trump repeatedly railing against ABC on Truth Social. After ABC News Chief Correspondent Mary Bruce asked him about releasing the Epstein files in a November 2025 interview, Trump also decried Bruce as a “terrible person” and said, “I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake. As FCC commissioner, Carr has repeatedly echoed Trump’s rhetoric about potentially pulling networks’ licenses, and particularly took aim at ABC after late night host Jimmy Kimmel made comments about the death of Charlie Kirk, which resulted in the network briefly taking Kimmel’s show off the air. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr said on a podcast before Kimmel’s show was temporarily suspended.
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Key Background
ABC’s lawsuit against the FCC comes after the network previously reached a controversial settlement with Trump, paying $15 million towards Trump’s presidential library. The president sued the network for comments George Stephanopoulos made that inaccurately suggested Trump had been found liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. (He was found liable for defamation and sexual abuse, but not rape.) Trump has long railed against the media and so-called “fake news,” and has launched a series of legal challenges against media outlets in recent months, including against the BBC, CNN, CBS and New York Times. ABC is the first network that has been squarely targeted by the FCC, however, despite Trump also attacking coverage against him on other networks.
Further Reading
Trump Threatens ABC, NBC Broadcast Licenses Over Not Airing His Speech Live (Forbes)
FCC Launches Review Of 8 ABC Stations’ Licenses After Kimmel’s Melania Trump Joke (Forbes)
ABC Accuses Government Of Alleged First Amendment Violations For Political Coverage (Forbes)
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