Disney’s ABC Sues FCC Over Trump Admin Retaliation Claims
Disney's ABC sued the FCC, alleging Trump officials are conducting a politically motivated campaign to revoke its broadcast licenses over left-wing programming and diversity policies.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in a Washington, DC federal court, according to Taylor Herzlich writing in New York Post, seeks both a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction blocking the FCC’s review of eight Disney broadcast licenses covering major markets including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, along with a DC Circuit Court hearing.
In its complaint, ABC accused the government of targeting the network purely for political reasons, alleging officials have repeatedly attacked the company’s news reporting and program content before ultimately demanding the revocation of broadcast licenses based on speech.
The FCC did not provide immediate comment when contacted.
Investigation Into DEI Policies Preceded License Review
In March 2025, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated an investigation examining whether Disney continued implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that the Trump administration has sought to eliminate through executive orders.
Matters intensified in April when Carr launched a license renewal process for ABC stations a full year ahead of the normal schedule, citing the network’s alleged lack of cooperation with the DEI probe.
Kimmel Controversy and Late-Night Attacks
The accelerated review came during an escalating confrontation between ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel and President Trump, after Kimmel made a controversial joke suggesting First Lady Melania Trump displayed a glow resembling an expectant widow following two assassination attempts on the president—comments made just days before a third attempt occurred.
President Trump quickly called for Kimmel’s dismissal. The president had previously condemned the comedian over remarks about the assassination of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, which prompted ABC to temporarily remove Kimmel from the airwaves.
ABC’s daytime program “The View,” hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar among others, has similarly maintained consistent criticism of the Trump administration, including a public confrontation with Vice President JD Vance.
ABC Claims Coercion and Retaliation
The network’s legal complaint asserts the timing of the premature license review exposes the FCC’s actual intention of pressuring and punishing a broadcaster that refuses to submit to administration demands.
ABC warned in its filing that if the administration succeeds, every media organization nationwide will receive an unmistakable message: report only stories the administration approves, or confront the federal government’s coercive power.
The lawsuit cited multiple statements from President Trump, including a December 2025 post on Truth Social where he suggested broadcast licenses belonging to networks providing nearly 100% negative coverage should be revoked.
FCC Defends Public Interest Standard
Carr has consistently defended the license renewal examination, maintaining it concerns not free speech but the statutory requirement that broadcast networks operate in the public interest.
ABC noted in its complaint that the early license review has attracted criticism from across the ideological spectrum, pointing to warnings from conservative Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Republican Senator Ted Cruz about the risks of a politicized FCC.
Conservative Groups Oppose License Renewal
Two conservative media watchdog organizations—the Media Research Center and Center for American Rights—have submitted filings urging the FCC to deny renewal of ABC’s licenses, alleging partisan electioneering and dissemination of misinformation.
Carr has previously acted on petitions from watchdog organizations, including a 2024 FCC complaint alleging CBS News distorted a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris through editing designed to make her responses appear more coherent.
The Biden administration dismissed that complaint, but Carr reopened it upon becoming chairman in January 2025. Paramount, which owns CBS, ultimately settled President Trump’s lawsuit over the allegedly deceptive editing by paying $16 million.
With information from New York Post
