American channel ABC sues Trump administration for violating freedom of expression

The American channel ABC, owned by the Disney group, in the crosshairs of Donald Trump, countersued in court on Tuesday, accusing the Republican administration of infringing on freedom of expression by threatening its broadcasting licenses.

The Trump administration has been pursuing for months an offensive against media deemed overly critical, via its telecommunications regulator, the FCC, headed by Donald Trump close friend Brendan Carr, and legal actions, which are meeting growing resistance from these media. In its complaint filed in Washington, the channel accuses the federal government of waging “a campaign of retaliation against ABC for one reason: they do not agree with what ABC broadcasts”.

The attacks against the channel, which began shortly after Donald Trump's return to power in January 2025, "have only intensified", now going as far as "explicit demands that ABC be deprived of its broadcasting licenses because of what is said there", she says. ABC cites as proof the FCC's request to its network's channels to submit their license renewal applications earlier than the schedule initially planned, after the Trump couple called in April for the ouster of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who hosts a satirical show very critical of Donald Trump. The American president and his wife criticized him for an outburst in his show during which Jimmy Kimmel had described the first lady, Melania, as “radiant like a widow in the making”.

“The consequences of the government’s campaign against free speech extend far beyond the ABC. If satisfied, the message to any media company will be unmistakable: only tell stories that the administration considers favorable or face the coercive apparatus of the federal government,” warns the channel in its complaint. “Faced with this existential threat, the plaintiffs have no choice but to seek redress from the judiciary for the government's blatant retaliation against their freedom of expression guaranteed by the First Amendment” of the American Constitution, ABC believes. She therefore asks the court to force the government to put an end to these actions and these “threats”.