ABC and Disney Sue FCC, Alleging First Amendment Violations
The network says the FCC targeted its broadcast licenses in retaliation for news coverage, late-night satire and talk-show commentary Trump disliked.
ABC and its parent company, the Walt Disney Co., sued the Federal Communications Commission in federal court Tuesday, alleging the Trump administration violated the network's free speech rights by launching investigations and challenging its broadcast licenses in retaliation for its journalism.
The lawsuit says the FCC acted to appease President Trump, who has repeatedly called for ABC to lose its licenses over coverage he disliked, including on "The View" and Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show. It cites Trump's own social media posts criticizing the network.
"Government censorship is deeply un-American," the lawsuit begins, quoting a unanimous Supreme Court decision involving the National Rifle Association that the government may not "use the power of the State to punish or suppress disfavored expression." The suit argues: "The Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts."
ABC and Disney own eight local TV stations, including in six of the country's largest markets, that require federal licenses because they use public airwaves. The FCC forced all eight into early license-renewal scrutiny years ahead of schedule — a move the lawsuit calls essentially unprecedented in the modern era.
The FCC and Chairman Brendan Carr did not immediately comment. Carr has said he is ensuring broadcasters serve the public interest and comply with Trump's executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion, but he has also publicly criticized ABC, Kimmel and "The View," once warning the network could "do this the easy way or the hard way" after Trump called for Kimmel's removal. Kimmel was suspended and returned days later following public backlash.
ABC had previously settled a Trump defamation lawsuit for $16 million in December 2024 over remarks by anchor George Stephanopoulos. But Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, who succeeded Bob Iger in March, told CNBC last week the company would not be "told how to run" its journalism.
Other media companies, including CBS parent Paramount, Meta, X and Google, have reached similar settlements with Trump, while lawsuits against the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the BBC remain ongoing.
This article was produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), in accordance with our editorial policy.
