Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump on Monday called on federal regulators to revoke the broadcast licenses of news outlets that publish or air reporting on recently unsealed files connected to Jeffrey Epstein, escalating an ongoing clash between the White House and the press.
Speaking at a press availability in the Oval Office, Trump accused several major networks of spreading “false and malicious stories” about him and other public figures mentioned in the troves of court documents. “If a broadcaster puts lies on the air under the guise of reporting, then the FCC should come down hard and take away their license,” Trump said.
The remarks come amid heightened scrutiny over the content of Epstein’s files, which were released earlier this month through federal court proceedings. Dozens of prominent businessmen, politicians, and celebrities have been linked to Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in federal custody in 2019.
Trump’s suggestion has drawn immediate pushback from constitutional scholars and media advocates, who note that the FCC has no legal authority to punish outlets for publishing information contained in official court records. “Broadcasters cannot lose their licenses simply for reporting news the president dislikes,” said Alicia Grant, professor of media law at Columbia University. “That would amount to direct, unconstitutional censorship.”
The Federal Communications Commission did not respond directly to the president’s comments. Historically, the agency’s oversight of news broadcasters has been limited to technical and content standards involving obscenity, public safety, and license renewals—not political disputes over coverage.
Leading media organizations condemned Trump’s remarks as an assault on press freedoms. “The idea that a president could strip licenses over legitimate reporting is deeply troubling,” said a joint statement issued by the National Association of Broadcasters. The American Civil Liberties Union also criticized the comments, warning that “even rhetorical threats from the Oval Office can chill free speech and embolden authoritarian attitudes toward the press.”
Trump has frequently clashed with news outlets throughout his presidency, labeling certain organizations as “fake news” and “enemies of the people.” Today’s call for license revocations marks one of his most direct threats to broadcast media yet, highlighting tensions that have defined much of his relationship with the press.
Jeff Carey is a veteran reporter covering sports and architecture. He was the founding editor of the Minneapolis Mini Times, a local paper with a circulation of more than 500,000. He divides his time between the east and west coast.
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