ABC Sues Trump Television Regulator Over Threats Against Broadcast License

August 18, 2026 12:16 PM ET Disney’s ABC filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, claiming the agency’s recent review into the company is part of a “retaliatory campaign.”The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Washington, D.C., alleges that the Trump administration’s “campaign against ABC has been building over the course of the current Administration’s second term.” The litigation comes after the FCC issued an order in April which directed Disney’s eight owned-and-operated television stations to file their broadcast license renewals early, NBC News reported. (RELATED: FCC Votes To Completely Change Local Media Landscape And Some Are Incensed)“It began in earnest when the Administration installed a Chairman who had promised to aggressively