Disney sues Trump administration to stop threat against ABC broadcasters

Disney cuts jobs amid crisis REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Disney and its ABC unit sued the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this Tuesday (18) to prevent the early review of the licenses of eight ABC broadcasters. The company argues that Donald Trump's administration is trying to punish the network for its broadcast content. According to Reuters, President Trump has repeatedly pressured broadcasters to take comedy and news programs off the air that he does not like or that were critical of him. On several occasions, he also pressured the FCC to revoke ABC's licenses. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, Disney said the FCC is trying to coerce and retaliate against "a network that refuses to yield to government demands." Disney and ABC asked the court to urgently issue an injunction to halt the license renewal process and prevent the FCC from scheduling a hearing. According to the company, the public consultation period ended at the beginning of this month, and the commission can act at any time. Trump gets statue at Disney The lawsuit claims that the government violates the company's right to freedom of expression, guaranteed by the First Amendment. "Repeatedly, the government attacked ABC's freedom of expression — the reporting of its journalists and the views conveyed in its programs," the lawsuit says. The White House did not immediately comment, Reuters wrote. FCC brings forward review of broadcaster licenses by two years FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who has not commented on the case, ordered the reviews in April, although the renewal of broadcaster licenses was only scheduled for October 2028. Before that, the FCC had not ordered an early review for more than 50 years. The revisions were ordered a day after Trump called for ABC to fire late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Why might the FCC interfere? US President Donald Trump during a speech on August 14, 2026 Ken Cedeno/Reuters Radio and television broadcasters need licenses from the FCC to use public broadcasting airwaves. While revocation of these licenses is extremely rare, critics say the threat could put pressure on broadcasters and raise concerns about government interference in editorial and programming decisions. Television networks have broad First Amendment protections in setting their programming. In November, Trump asked the FCC to revoke ABC's licenses after criticizing an ABC News correspondent for questioning Saudi Arabia's crown prince about the 2018 murder of a Washington Post columnist. Trump called the question "insubordinate." The FCC is also investigating ABC's daytime talk show "The View," which debates American politics, as it understands that it may be subject to federal regulations that require broadcasters to provide equal opportunities for political candidates.