Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, March 27, 2026.
Gabriela Passos/AP
hide title
toggle title
Gabriela Passos/AP
NEW YORK – In a strongly worded document, ABC accuses the Trump administration of trying to chill its constitutionally protected free speech and hinder open political debate.
At issue: The popular show “The View” and whether it is subject to equal time rules.
ABC’s filing with the Federal Communications Commission, made public Friday, came in a dispute involving an ABC station in Houston, KTRK-TV. But the development indicated that the chain was embarking on a broader battle with management.
“The Commission’s actions threaten to extend decades of established laws and practices and chill protected critical speech, both with respect to The View and more generally,” the filing on behalf of KTRK-TV and ABC said.
The commission responded, in a statement emailed to The Associated Press, that the equal time law “encourages more expression and empowers voters to decide the outcome of elections. The FCC will review Disney’s claim that ‘The View’ is a ‘genuine news program’ and is therefore exempt from political equal time rules.”
ABC’s filing appeared to be the latest salvo inside and outside the legal arena between the American media and the Trump White House over what journalists perceive as the president’s attack on free speech and the media’s ability to do its job. Trump has criticized media outlets whose journalism goes against his agenda and sensibilities.
Among the legal battles in court: a dispute between the Pentagon and The New York Times over access; a battle between the White House and The Associated Press over how to refer to the Gulf of Mexico; and Trump’s anger at The Wall Street Journal for reporting on Jeffrey Epstein.
The dispute concerns the content of “The View,” ABC’s long-running morning talk show, which mixes entertainment and political interviews and often features critical commentary about Trump. The filing referred to the FCC’s review, with legal action, of the question of whether “The View” should fall under equal time rules. The rules require giving equal air time to candidates vying for office.
At issue: Whether ‘The View’ is subject to equal time rules
News programs are exempt from the rules. Trump’s FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has indicated that he intends to argue that “The View” is not what is called a “genuine news show.” The issue could affect other programs that similarly combine entertainment and politics.
In its filing, ABC argued that “‘The View’ has been broadcast under a genuine news exemption granted more than twenty years ago, consistent with the Commission’s long-standing interpretations designed to minimize the serious First Amendment problems inherent in the equal time regime.”
The network also argued that the decades-old equal time doctrine was out of step with today’s realities, when “the airwaves represent a portion of the numerous media options through which Americans get their political information. In fact, the marketplace of ideas has never been stronger, and people can hear virtually any type of political commentary by listening to a podcast, watching cable, browsing social media, or streaming on a phone, computer, or connected TV. The free flow of ideas flourishes in these non-streaming platforms, even though the equal opportunity rule does not apply there.”
ABC says again that free political speech is needed now more than ever
Restricting the FCC’s long-standing approach to so-called “good faith news exemptions,” he said, “would risk restricting political speech exactly when it is needed most.”
The administration’s criticism of “The View” reflects its displeasure with late-night news hosts critical of Trump, especially ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel.
Donald and Melania Trump recently called on ABC to fire Kimmel over a joke in which the comedian described the first lady with “the glow of an expectant widow.”
The prank occurred two nights before the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which was disrupted when a man armed with guns and knives attempted to enter the Washington ballroom where the Trumps were gathered along with much of the country’s leaders and Washington media. Kimmel said the joke was a slight comment on the couple’s age difference, and certainly not a reference to the murder.
In a footnote, ABC noted that “The View” has long featured a panel that includes women from different backgrounds to discuss issues of the day.
“Although the co-host lineup has changed over the years, ‘The View’ has always prioritized having a panel of women from different backgrounds to facilitate interesting discourse and the exchange of divergent perspectives,” she said.