Former U.S. President Donald Trump has urged regulators to block any moves that would allow major television networks to expand, accusing several outlets of acting as partisan political arms of the Democratic Party.
In a social media post on Sunday, Trump said he would oppose any action that enables “Radical Left Networks” to grow their reach.
“ABC and NBC, in particular, are a disaster — a virtual arm of the Democrat Party,” he wrote. “They should be viewed as an illegal campaign to the Radical Left. No expansion of the fake news networks. If anything, make them smaller!”
Trump was responding to a Newsmax report claiming that Federal Communications Commission (FCC) commissioner Brendan Carr is considering changes that could give TV networks broader national reach and potentially pave the way for a merger between Nexstar Media Group and Tegna Inc.
The former president has escalated his long-standing criticism of mainstream media, even as his administration moves to limit press access. Following a recent joke by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death, Carr threatened to revoke broadcast licenses held by ABC-owned local stations and affiliates.
Trump’s remarks also come as Warner Bros. Discovery considers a potential sale. A change in ownership would mark the company’s fourth major transition in seven years, following AT&T’s 2018 acquisition of Time Warner and the 2022 merger that created the current Warner Bros. Discovery structure.
The company has been struggling as viewers and advertisers shift from traditional TV to streaming, though takeover speculation has boosted its share price in recent months. Warner Bros. Discovery is now valued at around $57 billion, with $33.5 billion in debt.
Trump last week again called for the FCC to revoke ABC’s station licenses after a network reporter questioned him about documents tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.