- Disney sued the Trump administration, accusing the FCC of a retaliatory campaign against ABC
- The lawsuit claims the FCC's review violates Disney's First Amendment rights to free speech
- FCC's review followed ABC shows and comments that angered the White House, including Jimmy Kimmel
Walt Disney has sued the Trump administration, accusing the US Federal Communications Commission of launching a “retaliatory campaign” against its ABC television networks over their programming and coverage.
The Financial Times reported that the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, marks the latest escalation in Disney's dispute with the media regulator after the FCC ordered a review of ABC's broadcast stations earlier this year.
In its complaint, Disney said the Trump administration, acting through the FCC, "has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcasts".
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The company is asking the court to declare that the FCC's early review of ABC's licence renewals amounts to retaliatory action that violates Disney's First Amendment rights to free speech.
“Again and again, the administration has attacked ABC's speech, the stories its journalists report and the viewpoints its network programmes air,” Disney said in the complaint.
The FCC, led by Trump-appointed Chairman Brendan Carr, in April ordered a review of Disney-owned broadcast television stations over alleged violations of rules, including “unlawful discrimination”. The regulator is also examining whether ABC's long-running talk show The View breached rules requiring broadcasters to provide opposing political candidates equal airtime.
The FCC review came shortly after comments by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that angered the White House. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for ABC's licences to be revoked.
Carr has denied that the FCC's review was connected to Kimmel's comments, according to the Financial Times. Disney said the licence renewals were not due until 2028, questioning the timing of the regulatory action.
Disney's legal team includes Paul Clement, a prominent conservative lawyer and former US solicitor-general who has argued more than 100 cases before the US Supreme Court.
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The company has previously settled disputes with the Trump administration. Disney paid $15 million in 2024 to settle Trump's defamation lawsuit against ABC.
The media industry has increasingly faced political and legal pressure during Trump's presidency. CBS settled a lawsuit brought by Trump in July 2025 over its editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.
Disney's latest lawsuit signals a more aggressive legal challenge, as media companies weigh how to defend editorial independence while navigating an increasingly politicised US regulatory environment.
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