Trump vs Media: Critics warn of first amendment threats

An article published by Euronews highlights U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating campaign against American media outlets, framing it as an effort to punish networks that criticise him and influence programming content. 

According to Euronews, Trump appears emboldened by recent moves, including the suspension of ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel following his comments on the death of the assasinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. During his monologue on September 15, Kimmel said the "Maga gang" was "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and of trying to "score political points from it".

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after a UK state visit, Trump suggested that federal regulators consider revoking broadcast licenses for networks that “give me only bad publicity.”

He claimed media coverage was overwhelmingly negative, saying, “I have read some place that the networks were 97 per cent against me… and yet I won easily.”

The president further argued that networks are licensed by the federal government and implied that negative coverage should be grounds for license revocation. Euronews notes that such statements draw sharp criticism from constitutional experts and former officials, who argue that the First Amendment explicitly protects press freedom.

Former President Barack Obama weighed in on social media, warning that the administration’s actions represent “government coercion that the First Amendment was designed to prevent.” Obama called on media companies to resist pressures to muzzle reporters and commentators.

After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like. https://t.co/uts7JpJZzN

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 18, 2025

The suspension of Kimmel has drawn widespread condemnation within the entertainment industry. Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Seth Meyers publicly criticised the move, framing it as a threat to freedom of expression.

Colbert described the cancellation as a “blatant assault on freedom of speech,” while Stewart satirically presented himself as “administration-compliant.”

As for Seth Meyers, he said: "Donald Trump is on his way back from a trip to the UK, while back here at home, his administration is pursuing a crackdown on free speech… and completely unrelated, I just wanted to say that I have always admired and respected Mr Trump.” 

Industry organisations have also weighed in. Both the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild condemned Kimmel’s suspension as a violation of constitutional rights, underscoring broader concerns about media independence in the United States.

However, on his platform, Truth Social, the US president framed programming decisions as evidence of low ratings and labeling hosts “talentless” or “losers.”

Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman appointed by Trump, issued a warning to networks shortly before Kimmel’s suspension, stating that companies could face “additional work for the FCC” if they did not act against the host.

While some networks, like ABC, have complied with pressures, the report suggests that others, including NBC, now face a test of whether they will defend their hosts’ rights to freely express themselves.

In his monologue on Monday, Kimmel said the "Maga gang" was "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and of trying to "score political points from it."

By Sabina Mammadli