Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is not having it with President Donald Trump's latest media tussle. Over the weekend, Sanders took to X to call out the administration for threatening to pull ABC's broadcast licenses over the daytime talk show The View. His message was blunt: you can't just silence outlets because they're critical of you.
On Saturday, Sanders wrote, "After demanding that the hosts be fired, the Trump administration is now threatening to take away ABC broadcast licenses because Trump doesn't like its talk show, The View." He added, "Mr. President: this is not a dictatorship. In a democracy, you cannot shut down media outlets just because they are critical of you."
The spat is the latest chapter in a long-running tension between Trump and the media. But this time, it's not just Twitter fights—it's regulatory action. In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Trump-appointed Chairman Brendan Carr, ordered an early review of licenses for eight ABC-owned stations, which are part of Walt Disney Co. (DIS). The review was framed as part of a broader investigation into Disney's diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, requiring the company to file renewal applications years ahead of schedule.
The trigger? A joke by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel about Melania Trump. The joke, which referenced the couple's age difference, prompted the president to call for Kimmel's firing. Melania Trump called the comments "hateful and violent rhetoric." Kimmel defended himself, saying it was just a joke about their age gap. Trump urged Disney and ABC to remove Kimmel from his show. Disney eventually suspended Kimmel indefinitely after Carr hinted at possible regulatory action.
This isn't the first time Trump has gone after negative coverage. Last year, he argued that overwhelmingly unfavorable reporting—he claimed 97% of stories about him were bad—was no longer protected free speech. He called it "cheating" and accused major networks of political bias, without providing evidence. His remarks came after Kimmel's suspension and the FCC's license review.
Sanders' defense of ABC is a reminder that the First Amendment doesn't bend to presidential displeasure. As he put it, you can't shut down media outlets just because they're critical of you—even if you're the president.
