Trump Threatens to Strip Broadcast Licenses From Networks After Christmas Eve Rant
President Donald Trump spent early Christmas Eve launching a blistering social media attack on major TV networks and late-night shows and suggested their broadcast status should be in jeopardy. According to The Daily Beast, the president’s late Sunday-night rant accused mainstream news broadcasts and entertainment shows of being “almost 100% negative” toward him and questioned whether they should retain their licenses.
The tension escalated when Trump singled out a noted late-night host, demanding that the network “put [them] to sleep, NOW,” in the first few minutes of Christmas Eve, per reporting.
It’s unclear whether any formal government action will follow. Trump’s statements so far have appeared on social platforms and reflect his longstanding grievances with media coverage he deems unfair.
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Trump’s critics say the remarks amount to renewed pressure on free press institutions during a holiday when many were offline. “This kind of public push to jeopardize broadcast licenses raises serious First Amendment questions,” a media law expert said in response to the comments (source not yet publicly confirmed).
The president concluded his Christmas Eve remarks with an early “Merry Christmas,” leaving the media and political observers to parse whether the outburst signals future policy moves or is another rhetorical attack.
The stakes are high because broadcast networks operate under Federal Communications Commission rules that include license requirements.
With major networks still digesting the comments, it remains to be seen if regulators or lawmakers will respond.
What happens next is whether this becomes a broader policy push or stays a social media squabble in the final week of 2025.
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