Flying back from his state visit to Britain, US President Donald Trump turned his attention to what he described as the overwhelming media bias against him, hinting that some television networks could lose their broadcasting licences. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed that mainstream broadcasters were unfairly stacked against him, saying they gave him “only bad publicity” despite his electoral success. “I read somewhere that the networks are 97 per cent against me… yet I won easily, all seven swing states in 2024. They just give me bad press. Yet they have a licence. I would think maybe their licence should be revoked,” Trump remarked, while noting that the ultimate decision rested with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, one of his close allies.
Trump’s comments came just a day after ABC, owned by Disney, suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel “indefinitely” following outrage over remarks he made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing. The suspension triggered debates about media accountability, free speech, and political influence in broadcasting. Trump, however, framed Kimmel’s ouster as less about free speech and more about poor performance. “Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else, and he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk,” Trump said. He dismissed Kimmel as “not a talented person” and claimed that his removal was overdue.
Meanwhile, Disney executives are reportedly debating the future of Kimmel’s late-night programme amid mounting backlash. Bloomberg reported that high-level discussions were underway, with company insiders weighing whether the show could continue in its current form. Nexstar Communications, which operates 28 ABC affiliates, added pressure by refusing to air Kimmel’s show after deeming his remarks “offensive and insensitive.”
The controversy stems from Kimmel’s September 15 monologue, in which he accused Republicans of cynically exploiting Kirk’s death for political gain. “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and do everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. His comments sparked outrage from conservative groups and prompted intervention from local station owners as well as federal regulators.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr criticised Kimmel directly, accusing him of misleading the public. Carr claimed that Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing Kirk, came from a conservative household but later adopted “leftist ideology.” He warned that the FCC would investigate Kimmel’s remarks, signalling the possibility of broader regulatory consequences for broadcasters hosting similar content.
The convergence of Kimmel’s suspension and Trump’s remarks has raised fresh questions about the intersection of politics, media, and regulation in the United States. Trump’s suggestion that networks could face licence revocation, combined with the FCC’s sharp response, has heightened concerns among free speech advocates that government pressure could reshape the media landscape.
