President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of ABC News after an Oval Office exchange in which he threatened the network's broadcast license and denounced its reporting as "fake." The confrontation, which unfolded during a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Nov. 18, followed a question about the pending release of the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files-a politically charged issue now advancing through Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The interaction began when ABC News chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce asked, "Mr President, why wait for Congress to release the Epstein files? Why not just do it now?" Trump, visibly irritated, responded by attacking the reporter personally before turning his attention to the network more broadly. "You know, it's not the question that I mind. It's your attitude. I think you are a terrible reporter," he said.
He continued by objecting to the tone of the inquiry. "It's the way you ask these questions. You start off with a man who's highly respected, asking him a horrible, insubordinate, and just a terrible question. And you could even ask that same exact question nicely," Trump said. Moments later, he escalated his criticism: "I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and it's so wrong."
Trump pointed to Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr-whom he appointed in January-as the official who should review ABC's standing. "We have a great commissioner, the chairman, who should look at that," Trump said. The president also called ABC a "crappy company" and "one of the perpetrators" responsible for what he described as hoaxes.
The threats come as ABC's broadcast licenses remain tied to affiliates owned by Walt Disney and after Carr has already clashed with the network. In September, Carr warned ABC following late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr said on a podcast, adding that the network could "take action, frankly, on Kimmel" or face additional regulatory pressure. ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel Live! briefly before restoring the program after public backlash.
Trump also addressed Bruce's question directly. "As far as the Epstein files ... I have nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein. I threw him out of my club many years ago because I thought he was a sick pervert," Trump said. He has repeatedly characterized the political attention surrounding Epstein as a "hoax," even as his own supporters-including several Republican lawmakers-have pressed him to support the release of the files.
Hours before the Oval Office exchange, the House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act with a 427-1 vote, moving the measure toward the Senate with nearly unanimous Republican support. Earlier in the week, only four GOP members had signed a petition forcing the bill to the floor, but Trump dropped his objections, clearing the way for wide party backing.
