Disneys ABC sues FCC over Trump admins alleged retaliatory campaign to silence its lefty shows

Disney’s ABC on Tuesday sued the Federal Communications Commission, accusing the Trump administration of a “retaliatory campaign” to silence the network’s lefty shows as the battle over its broadcast licenses heats up.The lawsuit, which was filed in Washington, DC, federal court, seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction on the FCC’s review of eight of Disney’s licenses – including ABC channels in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago – as well as a DC Circuit Court hearing.“Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts,” the lawsuit said.“Again and again, the Administration has attacked ABC’s speech – the stories its journalists report and the viewpoints its network programs air.Over time, those attacks have escalated into express demands that ABC be stripped of its broadcast licenses because of its speech.”The FCC did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.In March 2025, FCC Chair Brendan Carr launched a probe into whether Disney was still engaging in DEI policies that the Trump administration has tried to crack down on through a series of executive orders. Tensions escalated earlier this year in April, when Carr initiated a renewal process of ABC’s licenses a year ahead of schedule, accusing the network of failing to cooperate with the DEI investigation.The early review was launched in the midst of a heated feud between ABC’s late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel and President Trump, after Kimmel joked that First Lady Melania Trump had a “glow like an expectant widow” after two assassination attempts on the president – and just days before a third.Trump swiftly renewed his calls for Kimmel to be fired.

The president had previously slammed Kimmel for his remarks about the shocking assassination of conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk, which resulted in ABC temporar...