Incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, tapped by President Trump, has blasted ABC News and its parent company, Disney, following a humiliating $15 million defamation settlement related to the network’s coverage of Trump. In a scathing letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger, Carr criticized the network’s conduct as emblematic of the national media’s cratering trustworthiness, with public confidence in mass media hitting a historic low of 31 percent, according to Gallup.
Carr’s remarks spotlight ABC’s lack of credibility, particularly in light of its recent legal loss to Trump, where the network admitted regret over statements made by George Stephanopoulos during a high-profile interview. The debacle, Carr argues, epitomizes the arrogance of national media organizations that have eroded public trust while treating accountability as optional.
But Carr’s criticism extends beyond past missteps. He lambasts ABC’s ongoing negotiations with local affiliate stations, accusing the network of leveraging its power to impose harsh financial demands that harm local broadcasters—outlets still widely trusted by Americans across the political spectrum. The Commissioner also highlighted reports that ABC is using these negotiations to redirect local revenue toward propping up its direct-to-consumer streaming platforms like Disney+ and Hulu.
“This isn’t how Congress envisioned the system working,” Carr warned, calling ABC’s tactics a betrayal of the public interest. He pledged that the FCC would intervene if national networks like ABC continue exploiting their affiliates at the expense of local communities.
Carr’s strong rebuke sets the stage for a showdown between Trump’s FCC and media conglomerates that have long dominated the news landscape. As ABC reels from the fallout of its Trump settlement, the network now faces a potential reckoning not only in public perception but also in regulatory oversight.
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