US President Donald Trump on Friday launched a fresh attack on the American media, calling critical coverage of him “illegal” and reigniting debates over free speech and press freedom, particularly in the wake of comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show being suspended by ABC.
“They’ll take a great story and they’ll make it bad. See, I think it’s really illegal, personally,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
The 79-year-old Republican, known for his media-centric rhetoric and frequent lawsuits against journalists, has filed multiple defamation suits this year against major US news outlets. His latest remarks continue a long-standing campaign to portray the press as hostile and dishonest.
Trump zeroed in on US television networks, claiming that “97 percent” of their coverage of him and his administration is negative.
Trump’s comments come amid mounting controversy over the suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, announced by ABC just hours after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr issued a public threat of sanctions against broadcasters airing Kimmel’s program.
Carr, a Trump appointee, had earlier condemned Kimmel’s comments about the recent assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, calling them inflammatory and threatening action against networks airing the show.
On Friday, Trump praised Carr, calling him “an incredible American patriot with courage.”
Despite Trump’s backing, Carr’s remarks have drawn criticism — even from within the Republican Party. Senator Ted Cruz, a close Trump ally, raised concerns about government overreach in policing speech.
“It’s dangerous for a government to put itself in a position to say what speech it may or may not like,” Cruz said.
Referring to Carr’s threats to fine or revoke licenses from broadcasters, Cruz compared the move to a scene from a mafia movie:
“That’s right out of Goodfellas, a mafioso coming into a bar saying, ‘Nice place you’ve got here. Shame if something happened to it.’”
The free speech debate comes as Trump faces a legal blow in his own battle with the press. A federal judge recently dismissed his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, issuing a sharply worded ruling rejecting Trump’s claims.
The case was part of a broader effort by Trump to use litigation against media outlets he accuses of bias or false reporting, a tactic critics say is aimed at chilling investigative journalism.
