Trump demands ABC license revoked after reporter asks about Khashoggi murder

On Nov. 18, 2025, President Trump sat in the Oval Office with Saudi Crown Prince MBMohammed bin Salman when ABC News reporter MBMary Bruce asked why Trump doesn't order the release of Jeffrey Epstein files himself rather than waiting for Congress. Trump immediately attacked Bruce, saying "it's not the question that I mind, it's your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter." He never directly answered the question about his presidential power to release the files.

Trump escalated his response, saying "I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and so wrong." He added that the Federal Communications Commission should revoke ABC's broadcast license. Deadline reported Trump also told Bruce "Quiet, piggy" during the exchange. This wasn't Trump's first threat against ABC—he previously called for the network's license revocation after a contentious interview.

The question Bruce asked cut to the heart of presidential power. As president, Trump controls the executive branch including the Department of Justice, which holds the Epstein files. He could order DOJ to release them immediately through an executive order or direct instruction to the Attorney General. Instead, he'd spent months opposing congressional efforts to force their release through a discharge petition.

Hours after Trump's threat, the House voted 427-1 to compel DOJ to release all Epstein files, with only Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) voting no. The Senate passed the bill unanimously later that day. Trump had reversed his opposition just one day earlier on Nov. 17, telling Republicans to vote for release "because we have nothing to hide." He signed the bill Nov. 19.

The FCC can't revoke a network's license because broadcast networks like ABC don't hold FCC licenses—individual local stations do. ABC owns eight stations in major markets, and the FCC would need to find specific violations of broadcast law (like indecency or foreign ownership violations) to revoke any individual station license. The FCC chairman can't unilaterally revoke licenses; it requires a formal proceeding with evidence and due process.

First Amendment experts immediately condemned Trump's threat. FAFloyd Abrams, First Amendment attorney who argued 🗽New York Times Co. v. United States, told CNN that "threatening to use the power of the state to silence critics is about as serious a threat to the First Amendment as you can make." The Committee to Protect Journalists said Trump's pattern of threatening broadcast licenses creates a "chilling effect" on press coverage.

Bruce is a veteran White House correspondent who has covered three presidencies. She previously worked for NBC News and joined ABC in 2013. Her question was straightforward journalism—asking why the president, who has executive power to release documents, instead waited for Congress to force their release. Trump's response focused entirely on attacking her personally rather than answering the substantive question about his use of presidential authority.