Photo: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images News / Getty Images
President Donald Trump has suggested that TV broadcasters should lose their federal licenses for giving him "bad publicity," per NBC News.
On Thursday (September 18), Trump was speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One when he floated the idea of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) revoking broadcasters' licences for platforming late-night hosts who are "against me" and that "give me only bad publicity, press."
“I mean, they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr,” Trump said, referring to the FCC chair. “I think Brendan Carr is outstanding. He’s a patriot. He loves our country, and he’s a tough guy, so we’ll have to see.”
“All they do is hit Trump. They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to do that. They’re an arm of the Democrat Party,” he added of late-night shows.
Trump's comments come after ABC indefinitely suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" over the host's comments about the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. During his show on Monday (September 15), late-night host Jimmy Kimmel said, “MAGA Republicans are desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
FCC Chair Brendan Carr had publicly criticized Kimmel’s comments and applauded ABC’s decision to pull his show. In a Fox News interview on Thursday (September 18), Carr hinted that further consequences could be coming.
“This is a massive shift that’s taking place in the media ecosystem. I think the consequences are going to continue to flow,” he said,
In a post on Truth Social, Trump also praised ABC's move and suggested NBC follow suit with late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.
“Congratulations to ABC for its courage. That leaves Jimmy and Seth," he wrote.
House Democratic leaders called on Carr to resign, accusing him of abusing his authority.
“Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s war on the First Amendment is blatantly inconsistent with American values,” they said in a joint statement on Thursday. “The censoring of artists and cancellation of shows is an act of cowardice.”
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