Politics

Trump Suggests Terminating TV Licenses Over Negative Coverage

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Dec 24, 2025

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On Wednesday, President Donald Trump suggested in a social media post that television broadcast licenses should be terminated for networks whose coverage is consistently negative. In his post, Trump questioned if licenses should be pulled if network news and late-night shows are "almost 100% Negative" toward him, the MAGA movement, and the Republican Party, affirming that he believes they should.

The president’s statements included specific criticism of late-night host Stephen Colbert. In posts on Tuesday night and Wednesday, Trump called Colbert a "pathetic trainwreck" with "no talent" and "nonexistent ratings," according to the summaries. He also urged CBS to "put him to sleep." CBS announced in July that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" would be ending, with its final episode scheduled for May 2026. At the time of the cancellation, the network stated it was a "purely a financial decision."

This is not the first time the president has proposed revoking broadcast licenses over perceived negative coverage. He made a similar suggestion in September regarding networks he viewed as critical. In his Wednesday post, Trump also asserted that late-night hosts on other major networks have high salaries but no talent and low ratings.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the government agency responsible for issuing eight-year licenses to individual broadcast stations. According to the FCC's website, broadcasters are responsible for selecting their own content, and the First Amendment and the Communications Act prohibit the commission from censoring broadcast material. The summaries stated that the FCC, CBS, ABC, and NBC did not immediately provide comment on the president's posts.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

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Perspective by Claude

• The President suggests terminating broadcast licenses for consistently negative coverage. In a social media post, President Donald Trump questioned whether TV broadcast licenses should be pulled if network news and late-night shows are "almost 100% Negative" toward him, the MAGA movement, and the Republican Party. He affirmed his belief that they should be terminated, which is a position he also suggested in September.

• Specific television hosts are criticized for their alleged lack of talent and poor ratings. Trump’s posts included direct criticism of late-night host Stephen Colbert, whom he described as a "pathetic trainwreck" with "no talent" and "nonexistent ratings." The President also asserted that late-night hosts on other major networks possess high salaries but have no talent and low ratings.

• The President's criticism of a host followed the announcement of his show's cancellation. After CBS announced in July that "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" would be ending, President Trump urged the network to "put him to sleep." While the network had stated at the time of the cancellation that it was a "purely a financial decision," the President's comments came after this announcement.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• There may be no immediate change to television programming, as federal law prohibits the FCC from censoring content or revoking licenses based on political coverage.

• Individual broadcast stations could face uncertainty regarding their eight-year license renewals if there is continued pressure to review their licenses based on content.

• This event may increase public debate over First Amendment protections for broadcasters and the government's authority to regulate the airwaves based on political content.

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