Trump Threatens Broadcast Licenses Over Networks Asking For Fact-Checking
KEY POINTS
- â˘President Trump threatened to revoke ABC and NBC's broadcast licenses on Thursday after they did not air his election integrity address live.
- â˘The FCC, led by Trump ally Brendan Carr, has ongoing probes into broadcasters, including ABCâs license renewal fight and compliance over 'The View.'
- â˘CBS and Fox broadcast the speech during primetime, while ABC, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC chose partial or streaming coverage amid fears of repeating Foxâs $787 million defamation flop.
On a Thursday that likely crushed popcorn sales, President Trump decided to threaten ABC and NBC with revoking their broadcast licenses because they declined to interrupt their regularly scheduled programming for his election integrity speechâimagine skipping Jimmy Kimmel for alleged fraud drama. The FCC, led by Trump ally Brendan Carr, had already launched investigations into these networks, with ABC stuck in a license renewal wrestling match. Meanwhile, CBS and Fox heroically aired the speechâCBS only in portions, Fox in full real-time gloryâwhile CNN and MSNBC picked their clips like it was a buffet. Trumpâs allegations of Chinese election interference apparently werenât compelling enough for some networks traumatized by Fox's $787 million defamation binge. Paramountâs CBS parent is also cozying up to the administration, dangling its Warner Bros. merger like a peace offering. Itâs a classic reality show script: broadcast licenses, political theater, and the $787 million elephant in the room.
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(1 of 3)Threatening to yank network licenses because they skipped your speech is like revoking gym membership for skipping leg day. Spoiler: It makes you look weak, not powerful.
Only in 2026 can a former president rename 'fake news' to 'networks who won't interrupt my talk show.'
Networks dodging Trump's speech is the TV equivalent of pretending to take a call when your crazy uncle starts ranting.
Source: Axios | Published: 7/17/2026 | Author: Sara Fischer
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