The Record  Trump’s second term, documented
Turning the government’s power to his own ends

His FCC forced ABC's broadcast licenses into early review after the network aired criticism of him, and ABC sued, calling it a retaliatory campaign the First Amendment forbids.

August 18, 2026

On August 18, 2026, Disney and ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission in federal court, arguing that the Trump administration had waged a retaliatory campaign against the network because it disapproved of what ABC broadcasts. Months earlier, the FCC, led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr, had ordered Disney's eight ABC-owned stations to file for license renewal years ahead of schedule, licenses not otherwise due until 2028 to 2031, alongside a probe into the program “The View.” The moves followed the administration's pressure over late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, whom Disney briefly pulled off the air in 2025 after Carr warned the network it could do this “the easy way or the hard way.” A range of First Amendment groups, and some conservative organizations that support other parts of Trump's agenda, said the FCC's actions threatened free speech.

SourcesNBC News · CNBC · Fox News

Named hereBrendan Carr

His FCC forced ABC's broadcast licenses into early review after the network aired criticism of him, and ABC sued, calling it a retaliatory campaign the First Amendment forbids.
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