US President Donald Trump opposes the expansion of television networks, specifically targeting ABC and NBC, which he says are biased toward the left. He argues that they should be seen as part of the campaign for the radical left and calls for their reduction.
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said: “If this also allowed the ‘expansion’ of the Radical Left Networks, I would not be happy. ABC and NBC in particular are a disaster – THE VIRTUAL ARM OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY,” adding: “They should be considered an illegal campaign for the Radical Left. LESS!”
The US president’s post comes in response to a Newsmax article reporting that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chief Brendan Carr is considering giving television networks a massive reach following the merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc.
Trump’s attack on the media
Trump has stepped up his longstanding attacks on the media as his administration seeks to limit press access. Earlier, Carr threatened to revoke the broadcast licenses of local ABC-owned stations and their affiliates after comedian Jimmy Kimmel commented on the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk overnight, Bloomberg News reported.
Last week, Trump urged the FCC to revoke the licenses of stations used by ABC affiliates after a reporter asked him about his handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
“I think ABC should be delicensed because your news is so fake and it’s so bad,” Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “We have a great commissioner, the chairman, who should look at this.
His contribution also comes as Warner Bros Discovery Inc considers a potential sale. Such a sale is likely to cause further turmoil, at least in the short term, for the company, which is facing its fourth owner in seven years, the report said.
In 2018, AT&T Inc. acquired Time Warner Inc. from its shareholders to expand its presence in film and television production. Four years later, WarnerMedia was merged into Discovery Inc., creating the current entity.
As consumers and advertisers shift from traditional television to streaming, Warner Bros. is facing problems under its current leadership. However, recent takeover rumors have seen the stock nearly triple in value over the past two months. The company’s market cap is now around $57 billion with debt of around $33.5 billion.
