The President of the United States should not get to decide what journalists can say — or who stays on air.

But this week, President Trump once again suggested that TV networks who criticize him should have their broadcast licenses revoked.

His reasoning?

“They give me only bad publicity,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One. That’s not censorship — that’s dictatorship.

Trump has specifically targeted ABC, NBC, CBS, and late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers. Trump celebrated ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel — and floated using FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to go after other networks next.

Let’s be clear: this is a direct attack on the First Amendment. The FCC’s own rules say it cannot and will not censor broadcast content, and that it does not evaluate news coverage based on political bias.

This isn’t about liking or disliking Trump. This is about whether presidents — any president — can punish media outlets that criticize them.

We demand that:

President Trump immediately stop threatening media licenses, and
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr publicly reaffirm the Commission’s independence from political interference.
 

No president should be able to weaponize the FCC to silence comedians, journalists, or networks that challenge them.

If we allow this now, what happens when another president comes for your voice — or your side of the aisle?

Democracy requires a free press — not a loyal one.

Sign this petition to defend the First Amendment, protect independent media, and tell Trump: hands off the airwaves.