Trump Admin Sued Over Free Speech Violations

ABC Accuses Trump Administration of Free Speech Violation ABC, a Disney-owned network, formally accused the Trump administration this week of violating its free speech rights through a regulatory action targeting its talk show, "The View." The accusation was made in a filing submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on May 8, 2026, following an FCC inquiry into whether "The View" violated equal-time rules for political candidates.

The FCC's inquiry, initiated in February, focused on an appearance by James Talarico, then a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, on "The View." ABC's filing asserts that "The View" operates under a two-decade-old exemption as a "bona fide" news show, rendering it exempt from equal-time regulations.

The network characterized the FCC's order for a formal request regarding this exemption as "unprecedented, beyond the Commission's authority, and counterproductive to the Commission's stated goal of encouraging free speech."

ABC's legal challenge follows the Trump administration's increased scrutiny of broadcast networks and coincides with an FCC review of eight ABC broadcast licenses. The network's filing suggests potential viewpoint discrimination, noting the FCC has not initiated similar inquiries into conservative talk shows. The FCC stated it would review Disney's assertion regarding "The View's" exemption status.