Government · Media Literacy·September 18, 2025
Trump urges FCC to consider revoking broadcast licenses after ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel Live!
President threatens ABC reporter who asked about DOJ criminalizing speech
On Sept. 18, 2025, President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that broadcasters that give him 'bad publicity' could face license revocation and said the choice 'will be up to Brendan Carr.'
ABC and the Walt Disney Company suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! beginning Sept. 17, 2025, while the company reviewed Kimmel's monologue about the killing of Charlie Kirk.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr publicly criticized the monologue and said broadcasters have licensing obligations; he said the agency was 'not done yet' with changes in the media landscape.
Station groups including Nexstar said they would preempt Kimmel's show 'for the foreseeable future' amid regulatory and political pressure.
Legal scholars note that the FCC cannot summarily strip licenses. Revocation or non‑renewal involves formal enforcement or administrative proceedings that typically take years.
Major assertions in the original draft about multimillion‑dollar settlements, direct orders from the Department of State on visas, and specific vote counts or affiliate totals lack credible sourcing.
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