Trump’s threats have been shut down.
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The FCC has officially shut down calls by former President and current Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to “take away” ABC’s broadcast license for the way the network’s moderators treated him during the first presidential debate between him and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump lambasted ABC moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis online and in interviews after the debate concluded, claiming he was treated unfairly and needlessly fact-checked compared to his running mate.
Trump took to his own social media platform, Truth Social, claiming everyone thinks he won the debate. The former President blasted ABC, stating both the moderators were out to get him.
Trump called the debate “rigged,” saying it was a “3-to-1” fight. Trump also said government regulators “ought to take away” ABC’s “license for the way they did that.” Trump demanded that “everybody at ABC Fake News” be fired, including the “two lightweight anchors” who moderated.
However, Trump’s threats have been thwarted by the same government regulators he’s now calling on.
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According to Variety, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the following in a letter to United States Senators Ed Markey and Ron Wyde:
“The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commission does not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage. Our job at the agency is to license broadcast stations in a manner consistent with the Constitution and the Communications Act of 1934 as well as the rules and policies we have adopted pursuant to these laws. There are no exceptions.”
This letter was a response to a request by Markey and Wyden sent to all five FCC commissioners asking them to “make licensing determinations objectively and in a manner that upholds the First Amendment.”
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Trump was far from the only political figure to criticize ABC and its parent company, Disney. Ahead of the presidential debate on September 10, Fox News anchor Sean Hannity suggested that Disney CEO Bob Iger may not want conservatives to visit the company’s theme parks.
“ABC, Disney, Bob Iger, hello? It’s your company,” said Hannity. The longtime Fox anchor then suggested that Iger and Disney would be ok if conservatives did not visit the theme parks at all, saying, “Maybe he doesn’t want conservatives at his theme parks, I don’t know.”
Ratings for the debate were strong, pulling in nearly 68 million viewers from multiple networks. The Harris campaign has stated that it understands how important debates are, saying, “We owe it to the voters to have another debate,” though it’s unlikely the American people will get to see Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on the same stage. The former President has claimed he will not participate in a second debate.
This criticism also follows Disney’s battle against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a conservative public political figure who also attacked the company on multiple occasions, primarily due to Disney’s stance on the state’s controversial Parental Rights in Education Act.
Disney criticized the bill in 2022, leading to an all-out war between it and DeSantis. Eventually, Disney lost control of its Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Stay tuned here for all Disney company news updates.
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