Trump threatens to cancel TV and radio licenses that criticize government

Entities and Democrats denounce attack on freedom of expression

While applying sanctions to Brazil claiming to defend freedom of expression, US President Donald Trump threatens to cancel the licenses of radio and television broadcasters that criticize his government.

When boarding the UK back to Washington on Thursday (18), Trump told reporters that the body responsible for broadcasting licenses should discuss channel authorizations that only criticize the president of the country.

“When you have a network and you have night programs and all they do is criticize Trump. It’s just what they do. They only give me bad advertising. They are getting a license. I think maybe their license should be taken,” he said.

For him, this decision will be up to the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr. “He is a patriot, loves our country and is a strong person. We will have to wait to see,” he added.

The comment comes amid a climbing against US government critics in the context of Trump’s ally murder, far-right militant Charlie Kirk, shot dead while giving a lecture at a university in Utah.

Kimmel

After pressure from the White House, Disney ABC broadcaster removed the show of presenter Jimmy Kimmel from Trump’s known critic. Kimmel commented on the killer of militant Kirk, Tyler Robinson, and the political movement linked to Trump, the magician [Make America Great Again, Faça a América grande de Novo, em tradução livre].

The chief of the FCC, who has the power on the licenses of broadcasters, asked ABC affiliates to “react” and described some consequences he wanted to see. “We can do this in the easy way, or in the hard way,” said Carr.

On Wednesday (17) at night, host Kimmel said the US reached new low levels the previous weekend “with the gang Maga desperately trying to characterize this boy who murdered Charlie Kirk as different from one of them, and doing everything to earn political points from it.”

There is a dispute in the United States around the profile of Kirk’s killer, his political inclinations and motivations behind the murder.

Freedom of expression

The suspension of the Kimmel program generated criticism of democrats and civil society organizations that see in the episode an attack on freedom of expression in the US country. Protests were recorded in front of ABC.

“This Trump administration action occurs just two days after the President sues New York Times, Penguin Random House publisher and four New York Times reporters by reports and journalistic analysis that displeased the government,” the US Union for Civil Freedoms (ACLU) said in a statement.

ACLU Democracy and Technology Division Director Christopher Anders said other national broadcasters are changing their programming because of pressure from the White House.

“Trump’s authorities are repeatedly abusing their power to block ideas they don’t like, deciding who can talk, write and even make jokes. Trump government actions, coupled with ABC’s capitulation, represent a serious threat to our first amendment guaranteed,” Anders added.

Commenting on the end of Kimmel’s program, Donald Trump said he was fired for not being talented.

“He said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person and they should have fired him for a long time. You might call it freedom of expression or not, he was fired for lack of talent,” he said at a news conference.

Brazil

If, on the one hand, the Trump government receives accusations of violating freedom of expression in the US, on the other hand, sanctions Brazil and threatens to use “military force” to defend freedom of expression in the country.

The taxation of 50% over part of Brazilian exports and the sanction against the Supreme Court Minister (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, are partly justified by alleged violation of opposition freedom of expression and US social networks.

The Trump administration says the Supreme Court promotes a “witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies. Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup d’état, criminal association, among other crimes, for pressuring military heads to suspend the 2022 presidential elections to remain in power.

According to the investigations, among the plans planned to nullify the 2022 election was to murder President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Vice Geraldo Alckmin, and STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes.

Originally published by Agência Brasil on 19/09/2025

By Lucas Pordeus León – Reporter of Agência Brasil – Brasília

Edition: Graça Adjuto