The only Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission has accused the Trump administration of mounting a deliberate campaign to silence Disney and its ABC network through expansive regulatory measures.
In a letter addressed to Disney's chief executive, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez described recent regulatory moves as an orchestrated attempt to use the commission's powers to pressure independent media. Gomez wrote that what Disney and ABC face is "not a series of coincidental regulatory actions but a sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control, carried out through the weaponization of the FCC’s authority as a federal regulator and aimed at pressuring a free and independent press and all media into submission."
Last month, Republican FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered an unusually early review of broadcast licenses held by Disney for its eight ABC television stations. The commission has not revoked a broadcast license in more than four decades, and Disney’s licenses were not due for review until October 2028 prior to Carr's order.
The expedited review followed controversy triggered by a joke on an ABC late-night program by host Jimmy Kimmel that prompted the White House to call for his firing. In addition to the license review, Carr opened an inquiry into ABC's daytime program "The View," asserting it may fall under federal equal time rules that apply to political candidates.
In February, the FCC announced it was examining whether "The View" violated equal time obligations after an appearance by Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. The commission indicated that television talk shows should no longer be treated as "bona fide" news programs exempt from equal time requirements.
Commissioner Gomez highlighted previous episodes of pressure involving ABC. In November, President Donald Trump publicly demanded that the FCC revoke ABC's licenses after criticizing an ABC News correspondent for asking Saudi Arabia's crown prince about the 2018 killing of a Washington Post columnist, a question the president called "insubordinate."
Gomez also noted a December 2024 development in which ABC News agreed to transfer $15 million to the Trump presidential library to settle a lawsuit stemming from comments made on air by anchor George Stephanopoulos related to the civil case brought against President Trump by writer E. Jean Carroll.
Writing about that settlement, Gomez said, "That settlement did not buy you peace. It only bought you time. Disney’s experience since then has made one thing undeniable for any company facing the same pressure. You cannot buy this administration’s favor. For the right price, you can only borrow it. And the price always goes up."
The commissioner’s letter frames the sequence of regulatory actions - the early license review, the probe into daytime programming and the changing treatment of talk shows under equal time rules - as elements of a coordinated effort rather than isolated decisions.
Requests for comment from Disney and from FCC Chair Carr were not answered.
Note on market commentary included in earlier reporting: The article also referenced an investment-focused tool, stating that ProPicks AI evaluates Disney (DIS) using multiple financial metrics and cited past selections it highlighted, including Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%).