Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized the President Donald Trump administration’s reported threats against ABC’s broadcast licenses over The View, warning that targeting media outlets for criticism would threaten democratic values and press freedom.
Sanders Defends ABC Amid Trump License Threats
On Saturday, in a post on X, Sanders wrote, “After demanding that the hosts be fired, the Trump administration is now threatening to take away ABC broadcast licenses because Trump doesn’t like its talk show, The View.”
He added, “Mr. President: this is not a dictatorship. In a democracy, you cannot shut down media outlets just because they are critical of you.”
Disney’s ABC License Review
In April, Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) faced regulatory scrutiny after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ordered an early review of licenses for eight ABC-owned stations amid tensions involving President Trump, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and the media company.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the review was part of a broader investigation into Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, requiring the company to file license renewal applications years ahead of schedule.
The move followed criticism of Kimmel after a joke about Melania Trump prompted the president to call for his firing.
Kimmel defended the remarks, saying they referenced the couple’s age difference, while Melania Trump called the comments “hateful and violent rhetoric.”
Trump urged Disney and ABC to remove Kimmel from his show.
Trump Criticizes Negative Media Coverage
Last year, Trump criticized negative media coverage of him, arguing that overwhelmingly unfavorable reporting was no longer protected free speech and accusing major networks of political bias.
Trump said that when “97% of stories are bad about a person,” it was “no longer free speech” but “cheating.”
He added that some networks had become aligned with the Democratic Party, without providing evidence for the assertion.
His remarks came after Disney indefinitely suspended Kimmel following comments from Carr about possible regulatory action involving ABC.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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