US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (November 18) threatened that broadcasting licenses used by affiliates of Walt Disney-owned ABC should be “taken away” after he clashed with a reporter from the network during an Oval Office event with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The confrontation occurred when an ABC News reporter asked Trump about the political fallout surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The question appeared to irritate the President, who dismissed it as inappropriate for the moment and sharply rebuked the network.
“Licenses be taken away”
Following the exchange, Trump told reporters that ABC and its affiliates should face consequences for what he described as unfair and hostile coverage. “They should have their licenses taken away,” Trump said, claiming the network had crossed a line with its questioning.
The President did not specify what legal grounds he believed would permit the government to revoke broadcast licenses — a process that is controlled by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and requires evidence of serious violations, not disagreement with editorial content.
Tense moment during meeting with MBS
The remarks came during a high-profile White House event with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is on his first visit to Washington since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The question about Epstein briefly overshadowed the diplomatic engagement, prompting visible frustration from Trump.
Donald Trump, ABC News, broadcasting licenses, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jeffrey Epstein scandal
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