Trump says networks could lose federal broadcast licenses for criticizing him too much

President Trump said Thursday that the Federal Communications Commission could strip networks of their broadcasting licenses for regularly criticizing him.

“I read someplace that the networks were 97% against me. I get 97% negative, and yet I won it easily,” Mr. Trump told reporters, referring to last year’s election. “I won all seven swing states, popular vote, I won everything. And they’re 97% against, they give me wholly bad publicity…I mean they’re getting a license. I would think maybe their license should be taken away.”

The president also said networks should periodically apply to the FCC to have their licenses renewed, adding that not airing conservative viewpoints could be a reason for revoking a network’s license.

“That’s something that should be talked about for licensing, too. When you have a network and you have evening shows and all they do is hit Trump, that’s all they do,” Mr. Trump said.

“If you go back, I guess they haven’t had a conservative on in years or something, somebody said, but when you go back and you take a look, all they do is hit Trump. They’re licensed. They’re not allowed to do that. They’re an arm of the Democrat Party,” he said of networks.

Mr. Trump said he would leave the decision on pulling licenses to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

“It will be up to Brendan Carr,” Trump said. “I think Brendan Carr is outstanding. He’s a patriot. He loves our country, and he’s a tough guy.”

A longtime FCC commissioner, Mr. Carr was named chairman by Mr. Trump. He has started probes of ABC, CBS and NBC news.

Mr. Trump’s comments come hours after late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel was taken off the air by ABC for spreading a baseless conspiracy theory that the suspected assassin of conservative icon Charlie Kirk was part of the president’s MAGA movement.

Mr. Kimmel’s suspension is “indefinite,” according to ABC, which has not signaled when or if he could return. However, the network has not canceled his show.