President Donald Trump sharply criticized ABC News during a press exchange on Monday, spending several minutes attacking both the network and one of its reporters while questioning the legitimacy of ABC’s broadcast license.
The confrontation began when an ABC correspondent pressed Trump on recent controversies. Trump immediately shifted to an extended critique of the network’s coverage, calling the reporter a “terrible person and a terrible reporter,” and accusing ABC of persistent anti-Trump bias.
Trump claimed ABC’s news reporting was “97% negative” toward him and argued that the network’s credibility had collapsed following his election victory.
“I think the license should be taken from ABC, because your news is so fake and so wrong,” Trump said, adding that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should review the network’s broadcast standing. “We have a great FCC Chairman who should look at that.”
Trump framed his criticism as part of a broader issue of media accountability, asserting that negative coverage reflects political motivations rather than journalism.
ABC News has not yet issued a public response to the comments.
Any federal effort to revoke a broadcast license would require formal FCC review and would almost certainly face legal challenges. Under federal law, networks cannot be stripped of their licenses over unfavorable coverage or viewpoints alone.
The confrontation comes amid escalating tensions between Trump and several major media outlets, many of which have been frequent targets of the president’s criticism over the past year.
