Trump calls for ABC and NBC licences to be revoked over coverage

New Delhi: President Donald Trump on Sunday night escalated his ongoing conflict with the news media by suggesting that ABC and NBC should have their broadcast licences revoked, claiming the networks provide overwhelmingly negative coverage of his administration, according to Forbes.

Trump criticised the two networks in posts on his Truth Social platform, alleging, “ABC & NBC fake news, two of the worst and most biased networks in history, give me 97% bad stories,” despite what he described as a successful first eight months in office. 

He argued that this alleged negative coverage meant the two networks “are simply an arm of the Democrat Party and should, according to many, have their licenses revoked by the FCC.” Trump added that he was “totally in favor” of such a revocation, again accusing the networks of being “biased and untruthful, an actual threat to our democracy,” without providing supporting evidence

In a follow-up post, Trump reiterated the license revocation threat and suggested that “at a minimum,” the networks should be required to “pay up BIG” for their licensed broadcast spectrum, an idea previously endorsed by billionaire Elon Musk. Trump indicated that such a fee, which is not currently levied on networks using the airwaves, could amount to “millions of dollars a year.”

Earlier in his posts, Trump claimed he now had the “highest poll numbers” he has ever had, “some in the 60’s and even 70’s,” dismissing negative polling results as “Fake News.” 

Forbes noted that recent polling numbers suggest a markedly different picture. A Reuters/Ipsos survey published last week reported Trump’s approval rating at 40%, with a disapproval rating of 54%, up two points from July. The poll, conducted after Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, also found that 54% of Americans, including one in five Republicans, believe he is too closely aligned with Russia. Other polls released this month showed Trump’s net approval ratings in the negatives, ranging from -3 to -20 points.