FCC Official Warns Trump’s Attacks on Broadcast Stations Threaten Free Speech
A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) official previously cautioned that Donald Trump's ongoing "attacks against broadcast stations" pose a significant "threat to free speech."
In a Thursday post on his Truth Social platform, former President Donald Trump argued that Vice President Kamala Harris “should be investigated and forced off the campaign,” suggesting this would allow President Joe Biden “to take back his rightful place” as the Democratic nominee.
However, Trump did not clarify what he believes Harris — who became the Republican’s new opponent in the presidential race after Biden dropped out of his reelection bid this summer — should be investigated for.
In the same post, Trump also called for CBS to “LOSE ITS LICENSE,” a demand he has made before. His latest claim appears to stem from a complaint filed with the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday by the Center for American Rights, a legal organization.
The complaint accuses CBS of “news distortion” by editing a “60 Minutes” interview with Harris. It claims that some of her remarks, seen in a preview for the interview, differed from those in the version aired on television.
“THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN BROADCAST HISTORY,” Trump wrote.
However, the FCC only licenses individual broadcast stations, not entire TV networks, meaning it lacks the authority to fulfill Trump’s demand to revoke CBS’s license based on his Truth Social post.
FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel has previously warned that Trump’s persistent calls to revoke broadcast licenses amount to “threats against free speech.”
“While repeated attacks against broadcast stations by the former president may now be familiar, these threats against free speech are serious and should not be ignored,” Rosenworcel stated last week.
“As I’ve said before, the First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The FCC does not and will not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage.”
In the meantime, Vice President Harris participated in a 30-minute interview with Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday. Interestingly, Trump has recently backed out of scheduled interviews with both “60 Minutes” and CNBC.
