The legal clash between Disney and the Trump administration over ABC's broadcast licenses escalated this week, with the Federal Communications Commission asking a federal court to dismiss Disney's lawsuit while watchdog groups and ordinary viewers try to force their way into the case.
Disney sued the FCC on August 18 in US District Court for the District of Columbia, accusing the agency of waging a "campaign of censorship" designed to retaliate against ABC for speech that President Trump does not like. At stake is an early license review the FCC ordered for the eight broadcast stations owned by ABC; in the worst case, the review could lead to the nonrenewal of those licenses.
The FCC pushed back in a motion filed this week, defending the early review and insisting it concerns only "allegations of unlawful discrimination" tied to Disney's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. The agency said its chairman, Brendan Carr, remains "open-minded," has made no decision and intends to "follow the facts and the law wherever they lead." Carr has previously threatened ABC over jokes by Jimmy Kimmel and political content on The View, but the FCC argues the license review is a separate matter. The agency also contends the district court lacks jurisdiction, saying FCC orders are normally reviewed by federal appeals courts.
The FCC further argued that the renewal process does not abridge Disney's rights: licensees can keep operating while a renewal proceeding runs, and even a denial would not strip the stations of their licenses while they pursued judicial review.
Disney, however, says the damage is already being done. The lawsuit describes the review as a threat that could "mire ABC in years of costly litigation," leaving "every editorial judgment shadowed by the prospect of provoking the Administration into further retaliation." With elections approaching, the company argues ABC must now weigh whether inviting a political candidate might later be cited by the commission as grounds for non-renewal. The View, facing a separate FCC proceeding over its exemption from the equal-time rule, has not aired a political candidate interview since that proceeding began.
In a sign of how complicated the fight has become, two nonprofit watchdogs - Frequency Forward and the Media Action Center - joined by 18 ABC viewers, have moved to intervene in the lawsuit. They say they want to stop Disney from striking a settlement with the FCC that could limit what ABC stations offer the public. Disney opposes their intervention, arguing the groups have no legally protected interest and can instead file an amicus brief. A judge will decide whether they may join the case.
The dispute follows years of friction between the president and the network. In December 2024, ABC agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit Trump filed over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. Over the past weekend, Trump again attacked the press, demanding that the FCC punish or rebuke an NBC journalist for saying Trump has had "mixed results" in his election endorsements.
Disney, for its part, says it will "vigorously contest" what it calls unlawful, speech-suppressing conduct. The FCC, meanwhile, told the court that letting the review proceed is essential to ensuring broadcasters serve the public interest. For viewers and watchdogs, the underlying question is simpler: when a government agency pressures a media company, who gets to speak for the public interest - the company, the regulator, or the audience?
