Photo File: Donald Trump, US President

US President Donald Trump has suggested that television networks critical of his administration should “maybe” have their licences revoked, deepening concerns about political interference in media regulation.

The remarks followed ABC’s suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, who faced backlash after suggesting that conservative activist Charlie Kirk, murdered in Utah last week, had been killed by a Trump supporter. Kimmel also criticised Trump’s response to the killing, sparking outrage among conservatives.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday after a state visit to the UK, Trump accused broadcasters of bias. “I have read someplace that the networks were 97% against me, again, 97% negative, and yet I won and easily [in last year’s election],” he said. “They give me only bad publicity and press. I mean, they’re getting a licence. I would think maybe their licence should be taken away.”

The controversy erupted after Kimmel, 57, in his monologue on Monday, accused the “Maga gang” of attempting to deflect responsibility for Kirk’s death. “They’re desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them,” he said. He also mocked Trump’s reaction, comparing it to “how a four-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

Utah officials have charged a 22-year-old man with aggravated murder over Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University on 10 September. Prosecutors say the suspect was “indoctrinated with leftist ideology” and confirmed they would seek the death penalty.

Kimmel condemned the attack and sent condolences to Kirk’s family. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by chair Brendan Carr, accused him of “the sickest conduct possible.” Carr warned that broadcasters could face regulatory consequences unless they “change conduct and take action.”

Nexstar Media, one of America’s largest station owners and currently seeking FCC approval for a $6.2bn merger with Tegna, announced it would not air Jimmy Kimmel Live! “for the foreseeable future,” citing “offensive and insensitive” remarks. Carr praised Nexstar’s decision and urged other broadcasters to follow. Sinclair, the country’s largest ABC affiliate, said it would instead broadcast a tribute to Kirk in Kimmel’s time slot.

The FCC holds regulatory authority over major networks and local affiliates, raising concerns about censorship. Critics, including legal scholars, argue that revoking licences over political disagreements would violate the First Amendment.

Writers, actors, and Democratic leaders have condemned Kimmel’s suspension. Former president Barack Obama accused the Trump administration of taking cancel culture to a “new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like.”

Late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart also criticised the move. Colbert described it as “blatant censorship”, while Stewart mocked the situation by calling himself a “patriotically obedient host” of an “administration-compliant” show, referring to Trump as “dear leader”. Stewart also hosted Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, who warned that what is happening in the US mirrors the Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte: “If you don’t move and protect the rights you have, you lose them, and it’s so much harder to reclaim them.”

Hollywood unions, including the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild, denounced the suspension as a violation of free speech. Actor Ben Stiller said Kimmel’s treatment “isn’t right”, while Hacks star Jean Smart said she was “horrified”.

However, others defended the action. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy said, “When a person says something that a tonne of people find offensive, rude, or dumb in real time, and then that person is punished for it, that’s not cancel culture. That is the consequence for your actions.” Fox host Greg Gutfeld accused Kimmel of “deliberately and misleadingly” blaming Kirk’s allies, while British broadcaster Piers Morgan called the backlash against ABC “understandable outrage” and questioned why Kimmel was being treated as a “free speech martyr”.

Inside the FCC itself, there is division. Commissioner Anna Gomez, a Democrat, criticised Carr’s approach, saying, “An inexcusable act of political violence by one disturbed individual must never be exploited as justification for broader censorship or control.”

Meanwhile, Kimmel’s former writers described uncertainty within the show’s production team. “It’s heartbreaking to see the threat of them being out of work,” ex-staffer Joe Strazullo told the BBC. “Nobody knows exactly what’s going on still, and they’re working things out behind the scenes.”