Trump suggests that broadcasters who cover him negatively should lose their licenses

President Trump speaks to reporters on Air Force One

President Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One while on his way back from the the United Kingdom. President Trump made the comments after wrapping up his second state visit to the UK. The visit also comes as the U.S. and U.K. continue trade negotiations, though the White House has not announced any deals.

President Donald Trump suggested networks should lose their broadcast license if they criticize him.

Trump made the suggestion while answering reporter questions aboard Air Force One on Thursday, as well as once again stating he won "all seven swing states" during the most recent presidential election. 

What they're saying:

"I read someplace that the networks were 97% against me, 97% negative. And yet I won easily, won all seven swing states. I won everything. If they’re 97% against, they give me only bad publicity. I think, they’re getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away, that would be up to Brendan Carr," Trump said.

Brendan Carr is the Federal Communications Commissioner whose threats against ABC came before the network suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel after his joke about Trump and Charlie Kirk. Trump called Carr "a patriot."

U.S. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One on September 7, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump traveled to New York to attend the U.S. Open men’s singles final. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Bill to protect free speech introduced

Congressional Democrats are denouncing the Trump administration’s threats against political critics in the strongest terms, saying that it strikes at the fundamental right to free speech.

A group of House members and senators unveiled a bill Thursday that would bolster free speech protections against government officials.

"It’s repulsive, repulsive that the Trump administration is perversely using this awful death to supercharge their long-standing campaign against political opponents," said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer 

Big picture view:

Kimmel could have a strong legal case against Carr, especially after the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in May that public officials can’t use their power to punish speech.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote then that "the First Amendment prohibits government officials from wielding their power selectively to punish or suppress speech, directly or...through private intermediaries."

Democrats decry Kimmel suspension 

The other side:

Schumer called for the resignation or firing of Carr following his threats that may have led to ABC’s suspension of Kimmel’s show.

"What Brendan Carr is doing is despicable," Schumer, a New York Democrat, said in a social media video. "What he did to Jimmy Kimmel he is doing to person after person, to network after network — intimidating them and threatening them."

Schumer called on Trump to fire Carr if he doesn’t resign.

"After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn't like," former President Barack Obama said Thursday on X.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said: "First Colbert, now Kimmel ... it sure looks like giant media companies are enabling his authoritarianism."

The ACLU blasted the move, accusing the Trump administration of using federal pressure to silence critics. "This is beyond McCarthyism," said Christopher Anders, the group’s democracy and technology director, warning of a "grave threat to our First Amendment freedoms."