FCC To Trump: Sorry Donald, But No

The Democratic chair of the Federal Communications Commission is pushing back on former president Donald Trump’s call for ABC to lose its broadcast license because of the way its journalists moderated his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump bashed ABC’s moderators Wednesday for not fact-checking the Democratic nominee more forcefully, suggesting that regulators should strip the network of its ability to air news.

“They’re a news organization. They have to be licensed to do it. They ought to take away their license for the way they did that,” Trump told Fox News the morning after the debate.

Rosenworcel

In response, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel disputed the notion that the agency — which oversees TV and radio licenses — could target the network without running afoul of the Constitution’s freedom of speech provisions, according to The Washington Post.

“The FCC does not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage,” Rosenworcel said in an emailed statement.

While rare, broadcasters can lose their licenses for a host of reasons, including if their owners break federal law, if their stations are inactive for extended periods or if regulators deem they do not serve the public interest. But the FCC has typically held that the public interest is best served by enabling free expression.

Trump has a long history of suggesting broadcasters should lose their licenses over their news coverage, including while serving as president.