'That's retaliation': Olivia Troye on FCC move against ABC

As the Trump administration pressures ABC to fire Jimmy Kimmel, the Federal Communications Commission has sent notices for early renewal of the network's station licenses, setting up a legal battle with ABC's parent company, Disney. The move is widely seen as an escalation, and former Trump aide, turned critic, Olivia Troye, has labelled it a "retaliation". Troye, in her post, pointed out that such threats weaken the First Amendment and all the other stations in the country "are watching." 

The White House on Tuesday intensified pressure on ABC to fire Kimmel over his calling First Lady Melania Trump an "expectant widow" in a parody of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Thursday. Two days later, a gunman charged through security at the event and opened fire, making the comments more sensitive. Both the President and the First Lady slammed Kimmel's jokes and demanded ABC take action. Days later, the Trump-aligned FCC posted an order stating that the agency is investigating Disney and ABC and directed Disney's ABC to file license renewals of all its TV stations within 30 days, which is two years ahead of schedule.

While the move is tied to a yearlong DEI investigation, as per NBC, it got fast-tracked amid the controversy. Thus, Troye pointed out that the timing was nothing but obvious. "That’s not a coincidence. That’s retaliation," she wrote in her post. She added that the First Amendment only works if the government is unable to threaten a station's licence for the content they broadcast. "Every broadcaster in America is watching. That's the point," she concluded. 

In its order, the FFC stated that it was investigating "possible violations of the Communications Act of 1934 and the FCC's rules, including the agency's prohibition on unlawful discrimination." While the order will not affect the local stations right away, it is seen as an extraordinary escalation by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, both Disney and Kimmel have stood their ground, with the late-night host stating it is prepared to challenge any action against it. "ABC and its stations have a long record of operating in full compliance with FCC rules and serving their local communities with trusted news, emergency information, and public interest programming," Disney said in a statement. "We are confident that the record demonstrates our continued qualifications as licensees under the Communications Act and the First Amendment, and we are prepared to show that through the appropriate legal channels. Our focus remains, as always, on serving viewers in the local communities where our stations operate," the statement added, as per NBC. 

Kimmel, in his Monday night monologue, which has gained millions of views on YouTube, said that the comment he made about the First Lady was a joke and wasn't to be seen in the light of the assassination attempt. He said that it was "about the fact that (Trump is) almost 80 and she's younger than I am." He added that Trump is still allowed to say whatever he wants to because every American has the right to free speech under the First Amendment. 

While advocates of the First Amendment slammed the move, some conservatives welcomed it. "Kimmel seemed SPOOKED last night over this, going on defense and making up BS excuses for his rhetoric. This guy needs to be tossed off the air," conservative political commentator Nick Sortor wrote in a post on X.