Former US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to have the broadcast licences of major television networks revoked, a tactic he has employed at least 28 times over the past eight years. This pattern of behaviour highlights his ongoing conflict with news organisations he deems hostile.
The Legal Reality Behind the Threats
Despite the frequency of these threats, their legal foundation is shaky. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not license national networks. Instead, it licenses the local television stations that networks either own or have affiliate agreements with.
Anna M Gomez, the lone Democrat on the FCC, recently clarified the commission's limited power in this area. She stated that this FCC is powerless to truly retaliate against a news network, noting that no local station licences are up for renewal in the immediate future.
A Timeline of Repeated Threats
The Guardian's analysis reveals a consistent pattern of threats dating back to 2017. It began with tweets in October of that year, where Trump suggested challenging network licences due to what he called "partisan, distorted and fake" news.
The threats escalated significantly during the 2024 election cycle. Following a debate, Trump took to Truth Social, suggesting ABC's licence should be "TERMINATED" amid unsubstantiated claims that questions were shared with Kamala Harris.
Later in October 2024, his focus shifted to CBS and its programme 60 Minutes. In a series of Truth Social posts and campaign rallies, he repeatedly demanded the network lose its licence, alleging fraudulent editing of an interview. He claimed, "CBS should lose their license. You know they have a license – they have a license which is worth billions of dollars, and they pay nothing."
This rhetoric continued into 2025. In April, he expressed honour in suing 60 Minutes and CBS, and in August, he questioned why "ABC and NBC FAKE NEWS" weren't paying millions in licence fees. Most recently, on 18 November 2025, during a bilateral meeting with Mohammed bin Salman, he stated, "I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake."
Context and Implications
These threats often follow aggressive questioning from journalists or negative coverage. The instance that sparked the most recent commentary was an exchange with ABC News White House correspondent Mary Bruce, who pressed Trump on the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
While the threats are a recurring feature of Trump's political strategy, their practical impact is limited by the actual purview of the FCC. The situation underscores ongoing tensions between a political figure and the free press, raising questions about the use of regulatory bodies as potential tools for retaliation.
