Trump's misuse of the FCC Threatens your Constitutional free speech and free press rights

The Trump administration is attempting misuse the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to suppress speech and news coverage that it does not like.
This is un-American. It clearly infringes your free speech and free press rights that are guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

• On 28 April 2026 the FCC directed ABC to to file early license renewals for all of their television stations within 30 days. These licenses would normally have been due for renewal until 2028. Coincidentally the FCC's directive came one day after President Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly objected to a joke told by comedian Jimmy Kimmel during the 23 April broadcast of ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" show; and after Donald Trump publicly called for ABC to fire Kimmel.

  This is clearly an attempt to suppress Kimmel's right to free speech that is guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
  If Trump is permitted use the power of the government to suppress Kimmel's right to speak freely, he can also use the power of the government to suppress your right to speak freely.

• On 26 January 2026 the FCC's Media Bureau released a public notice stating television talk shows that interview political candidates might be subject to the "equal time" rule. Previously such interviews were considered "bona fide news interviews" that were not subject to the "equal time" rule. One reason for this exception is applying "equal time" rules to such interviews during an election with many candidates would require so much air time that broadcasters would likely stop airing any candidate interviews; and this would deprive voters of essential information they require to cast an informed vote.

  In February 2026 the FCC began an "equal time" investigation into the ABC television program "The View" after it aired an interview with Senate candidate James Talrico, who was then running in the Texas Democratic Party primary election. Talrico frequently criticizes Donald Trump. In 2002 the FCC had formally ruled that "The View" was a "bona fide news interview program" that was not subject to the "equal time" rule. The FCC then ordered ABC affiliate station KTRK-TV to file a new petition requesting an "equal time" exemption for "The View", even though the FCC's original 2002 ruling remained in effect. ABC complied, noting in its new petition that the FCC's 2002 ruling remained in effect and had never even been modified.
  It's worth noting that the FCC did not raise similar "equal time" concerns against programs that aired interviews with candidates in the Republican Party's primaries.

  The FCC also took the unusual step of ordering all ABC owned television stations, including KTRK-TV, to immediately submit early license renewals to the FCC.

  Taken together the FCC's actions certainly look like an attempt to infringe on not only the free speech rights of those appearing on ABC stations, but also on ABC's free press rights under the 1st Amendment.

  CBS then self-censored by removing an interview with James Talarico from the 16 February broadcast of "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert".
  This demonstrates that the previously mentioned concern that, absent the "bona fide news" exception, broadcasters might refuse to air any candidate interviews was well founded.
  It also demonstrates that the FCC's actions against ABC might lead other broadcasters to avoid airing any programs that the Trump Administration might find objectionable.

  This does not just affect the free speech and free press rights television news programs, stations, and networks.
  It affects your right to freely receive news, particularly news that the Trump administration does not want you to hear.