Trump’s Latest Clash With ABC Leaves Reporters Stunned
There has rarely been a moment in recent history when politics and entertainment have been more entangled. With the rise of social media, streaming platforms, and nonstop television coverage, the line between a political story and a media headline often blurs into one.
At the same time, major entertainment companies, including Disney, find themselves at the center of heated national debates they may not have anticipated.
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This unique climate has brought unexpected challenges for networks like ABC, which are both news organizations and part of one of the largest entertainment companies in the world. When political figures and media giants collide, it sets the stage for conversations that extend far beyond the Beltway. That has never been clearer than now.
It’s no secret that Donald Trump and ABC have a long and rocky history. The president has singled out the network on more than one occasion, making no effort to hide his disdain.
Earlier this year, ABC even made headlines after firing veteran White House reporter Terry Moran when Moran tweeted about Trump and then-White House Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Miller, calling them “world-class haters” before quickly deleting the post.
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Trump’s frustrations have hardly been limited to ABC’s news team. Over the years, he has taken issue with the women on The View, Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos, and even late-night personality Jimmy Kimmel. Just months ago, Trump was making headlines for clashing with the comedian, who frequently lampoons the former president on his show.
The tension escalated again this week during an exchange between Trump and ABC News reporter Jonathan Karl. On September 16, Karl raised a question about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s promise to “go after hate speech” following the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Karl noted that many of Trump’s supporters do not believe in the idea of “hate speech” and instead consider all speech to be “free speech”.
Trump’s answer immediately made waves. The White House press corps was stunned as the president fired back, suggesting ABC itself might not be safe from scrutiny.
Sheʼll probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they will come after ABC. ABC paid me $16 million recently for a form of hate speech. Your company paid me $16 million for a form of hate speech, so maybe they will have to go after you.
Look, we want everything to be fair. It hasnʼt been fair. And the radical left has done tremendous damage to the country, but weʼre fixing it. We have right now the hottest country anywhere in the world. Remember, one year ago, our country was dead, and now Washington, D.C. is fixed and I fixed it!
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Trump’s fiery comments came just a day before Disney and ABC jointly announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live! would be pulled off the air after the host made remarks about the Charlie Kirk shooting and the president. The suspension brought a firestorm of backlash against Disney. Major industry voices, including the Producers Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America, and high-profile comedians like Jon Stewart, Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, and David Letterman, all spoke out.
Even former President Barack Obama weighed in. Actors Marisa Tomei and Tatiana Maslany added their names to calls for a boycott of Disney and encouraged fans to cancel their Disney+ subscriptions.
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner also entered the fray on September 19, publicly criticizing current CEO Bob Iger. “Where has all the leadership gone?” Eisner asked, directly challenging Iger’s handling of the fallout.
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Trump wasn’t the only member of his administration to raise concerns about ABC in the aftermath of Kimmel’s remarks. Brendan Carr, head of the FCC, leveled a thinly veiled warning at Disney leadership. He stated that the company could handle things “the easy way or the hard way.”
Even after Jimmy Kimmel Live! was taken off the air, Carr continued with more threats, suggesting the FCC might investigate The View for violating the equal opportunity rule. However, as many observers pointed out, that rule applies to news programs, not daytime talk shows.
Disney itself has remained largely silent about Kimmel’s suspension. Reports suggest discussions are ongoing between the company and the late-night host about a potential return, though questions linger about what conditions would need to be met. Some believe an apology may be required, though nothing has been confirmed.
What do you think about Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to “go after” networks he does not like? Do you believe the FCC should step in, or would that be a violation of First Amendment protections? And should Disney and ABC bring Jimmy Kimmel back to the air immediately? Share your thoughts in the comments below — we want to know what you think about this increasingly messy situation!
