Trump wants ABC and NBC licenses revoked. Can that happen?
Trump Demands ABC and NBC License Revocation: Legal Experts Weigh In
Trump wants ABC and NBC licenses - President Donald Trump has formally requested that the Federal Communications Commission strip ABC and NBC of their broadcast licenses, citing the networks' decision to withhold his July 16 primetime address from live television. The nearly 26-minute speech, delivered from the White House, centered on election security matters and drew criticism from the president regarding its broadcast treatment.
The President's Criticism
During the closing portion of his address, Trump directed sharp criticism toward the major networks, claiming they deliberately chose not to air his remarks live. He suggested the decision stemmed from editorial bias rather than technical considerations.
"Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses," Trump declared. "They use our public, multi-billion dollar in value, airways for absolutely no money. They pay nothing. All we want is honesty in our elections and honesty in reporting."
Despite not broadcasting the speech live on traditional television, both networks did stream the address on their digital platforms and subsequently provided extensive coverage of the president's statements. NBC chose not to offer immediate comment, while USA TODAY contacted ABC for their response.
Constitutional Concerns
Legal scholars have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of Trump's demands. While the FCC possesses certain authority to revoke broadcast licenses under specific circumstances, experts emphasize that penalizing networks for editorial choices would likely violate constitutional protections.
"The First Amendment doesn't permit the president to demand coverage by royal decree," explained Robert Corn-Revere, who serves as chief counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. "This is First Amendment law 101."
The FCC itself did not respond to USA TODAY's inquiry on July 17. Chairman Brendan Carr, who has previously threatened license consequences over networks' coverage of the Iran war, had not released a formal statement regarding the matter by early afternoon that day.
Commissioner Gomez's Response
Commissioner Anna Gomez, who was appointed to the commission by former President Joe Biden in 2023, strongly rejected Trump's position. In a statement shared with USA TODAY, she characterized the president's call for license revocation as "ridiculous."
She stated that the FCC "has no authority to punish a station for refusing to air a blatantly political speech."
Gomez reinforced her position through a July 17 post on X, which featured screenshots of headlines documenting similar network decisions during the administrations of both Biden and former President Barack Obama. She described Trump's actions as "a naked attempt to bully broadcasters, and the FCC should have no part in it."
Her remarks aligned with previous criticisms in which she accused the FCC of engaging in partisan politics to advance Trump's policy objectives.
Procedural Realities
David Keating, president of the Institute for Free Speech, emphasized that government officials should not determine newsworthiness or dictate live broadcast requirements. Nevertheless, both Keating and Corn-Revere acknowledged that Carr could attempt license revocation despite potential legal challenges.
"It certainly wouldn't surprise me if he (Carr) tried it, but I don't think it would be successful in the end," Keating observed, noting that the process would prove "time-consuming and costly for the networks."
ABC's Ongoing FCC Scrutiny
Trump's latest comments arrive amid existing tensions between ABC and the FCC. In February, the commission launched an enforcement action against the Disney-owned network after Texas state Representative James Talarico appeared on "The View" while competing in the Democratic U.S. Senate primary race.
Carr framed the situation as a procedural matter, asserting that ABC failed to submit appropriate documentation declaring a political candidate's appearance. Such documentation would enable opposing candidates to request "comparable time and placement." The FCC began accepting public comments in May regarding whether "The View" should receive exemption from equal broadcast opportunity requirements, with more than 50,000 submissions received by late June.
In a July 6 legal filing, ABC warned that the FCC's actions were "chilling speech ahead of the fast-approaching 2026 general election."
Separately, the FCC ordered ABC in April to submit license renewals for its eight television stations by late May—significantly earlier than normally required. The commission indicated it was investigating potential violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and related regulations, including prohibitions against unlawful discrimination. Disney responded by expressing confidence that its "record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment and are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels."