Current Events > Trump threatening to ax licenses of TV stations that criticize him

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-18/trump-says-kimmel-suspended-over-bad-ratings-not-free-speech

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/18/trump-jimmy-kimmel-tv-network-licenses.html

President Donald Trump suggested that US broadcast networks should face scrutiny over their licenses if their content is overwhelmingly critical of him, and defended ABCs decision to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmels show indefinitely over remarks about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Thats something that should be talked about for licensing, too. When you have a network and you have evening shows, and all they do is hit Trump, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Theyre licensed. Theyre not allowed to do that. Theyre an arm of the Democrat party.

Trump praised FCC Chair Brendan Carr and drew a direct link between coverage that the president views as negative and the prospect of TV licenses being revoked as a consequence. I read someplace that the networks were 97% against me again, I get 97% negative. And yet I won it easily. I won all seven swing states, the popular vote, whatever. Theyre 97% against. They give me totally bad publicity, the press, Trump said. Theyre getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away. It will be up to Brendan Carr. I think Brendan Carr is outstanding. Hes a patriot. He loves our country, and hes a tough guy. So well have to see.

The comments add up to Trumps furthest-reaching threat to US broadcasters who control both industry-leading television news operations as well as air mass-market entertainment thats freely accessible to anyone with a television and viewed daily by millions. Trump and Republicans have long complained that Hollywood, broadly, is unfavorable to conservatives, and the president has repeatedly called for CBS, ABC and NBC to part with their late night comedic hosts who are frequently critical of his administration.

That's what his head of the FCC is doing.

This is how toddlers talk. They dont like me, they are bad, they shouldnt have nice things

Like what the fuck

Trump trying to erase media criticism of himself? Sounds exactly like something a certain German creature with a tiny mustache did.

God fucking damn this dictator and his tyranny!

Imagine if Obama did any 1 of the 50,000 grotesque things Trump did

When you accede to blackmail and threats once, you've shown that you'll concede and fascists and bullies just keep escalating. The entire news media should have joined together to tell him to eat shit and given 100000 percent negative coverage.

And most of the bitches that love to whine about "cancel culture" won't make a peep

legendary_zell posted...

When you accede to blackmail and threats once, you've shown that you'll concede and fascists and bullies just keep escalating. The entire news media should have joined together to tell him to eat shit and given 100000 percent negative coverage.

this. the moment they gave in it was clear they will push for more after they buckled and bended the knee

Fuckin crybaby man child who doesnt want his feewings hurt.

Perfectly normal for a functioning free society. Both sides are exactly the same anyway, am I right?

/s /s /s

Damn, it sure is a shame that there was no warning at all that this sort of thing would happen

All of the freedoms our ancestors fought for going down the toilet because of the world's most fragile shitbag.

The Tyrant

Another very clear violation of the constitution

So Fox is fair game once Donny bunkrupts the country and is voted out?

I mean, if you give the bully your lunch money once, that is the only time he's going to ask, right?

Fascism is really happening huh?

https://twitter.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/1968521297974923696

What's the point in having all that power if people can still laugh at you?

That's how Trump sees it.

__starsnostars posted...

So Fox is fair game once Donny bunkrupts the country and is voted out?

I dont think you understand how "ride or die" these people are.

He says this every few weeks. Let's see the Epstein files

Land of the free and home of the brave my fucking ass.

the Free Speech Absolutist Party

I haven't the courage to brave your fucking ass

Foppe posted...

The Tyrant

I have nothing to do with this insanity

Rob_the_Ninja posted...

https://twitter.com/BrendanCarrFCC/status/1968521297974923696

Our country is being ran by fucking 4chan trolls

"It's not a first amendment violation, it's private companies not government censorship."

Good thing we have Trump to set the record straight.

You best start believing in Nazi America.

You're in it.

(Unless you don't live in America)

myusernameislame posted...

"It's not a first amendment violation, it's private companies not government censorship."

Good thing we have Trump to set the record straight.

Even Kimmel made that bullshit because it was the government directly pressuring them to fire him.

UnfairRepresent posted...

Imagine if Obama did any 1 of the 50,000 grotesque things Trump did

Obama was worse. Half-Black and wore a tan suit once. /s

DiScOrDtHeLuNaTiC posted...

Obama was worse. Half-Black and wore a tan suit once. /s

Also a ketchup hater. He was literally Hitler! /s

Uh guys, Obama was worse. Don't you remember when he took over the entire country, world, and universe with JADE HELM!!!? /s

Bass posted...

Also a ketchup hater. He was literally, Hitler! /s

Don't get me started on his middle name.

Barack HUSSEIN Obamna

Conservative media was training the public for decades that Democrats were already politicizing these independent agencies for the day when a Republican actually did. So Trump weaponizing the FCC against his enemies seema like Justice to people who actually believed the main stream media was "liberal media."

gikos posted...

this. the moment they gave in it was clear they will push for more after they buckled and bended the knee

Yep. Fox News is slavishly pro-Trump nearly all the time but he still bitches about it whenever they say something he doesn't like and he's currently suing Rupert Murdoch for letting the WSJ report on the Epstein letter.

The only acceptable standard to Trump is for a media outlet to never say anything negative about him or report anything that's damaging to him.

This is Russia levels of censorship and bullshit.

I am extremely displeased (putting it lightly) with everyone who voted for this

He won't be happy until he's being called Dear Leader