Disney CEO Pushes Back as Donald Trump’s FCC Targets ABC, Jimmy Kimmel and 'The View'

Disney is making clear it does not plan to quietly absorb the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against ABC.

During a CNBC interview at Disney’s D23 Expo, Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro addressed the company’s fight with the Federal Communications Commission, which has launched an early review of eight Disney-owned ABC station licenses and scrutinized The View over equal-time rules.

The actions have unfolded alongside President Donald Trump’s repeated attacks on Jimmy Kimmel and ABC programming.

D’Amaro did not sound interested in retreat.

“Our position on this is clear,” D’Amaro said. “We’re very principled on this. We’re going to stand up to what we believe is journalistic integrity. And we’re not going to be told how to run that side of our business. Our filings, I think, speak for that.”

He continued, “I like what we do. We tell incredible stories. I think we do it well. We do it around the world. And we’re going to stay committed to that.”

The remarks come after months of escalation between ABC and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. In April, the agency ordered an early review of eight ABC station licenses, one day after Trump urged ABC to fire Kimmel over a joke.

Carr has said the review is tied to concerns about Disney’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices. He has also said ABC’s decision to limit coverage of a Trump address could factor into the agency’s review, arguing that broadcasters must “operate in the public interest.”

The license review is not the only fight. The FCC is also examining whether The View qualifies for an exemption from equal-time rules that apply to political candidates. ABC has argued the agency resolved that issue years ago when it treated the daytime program as a bona fide news show.

ABC has described the license action as unconstitutional and retaliatory. In a July filing, the network accused the FCC of targeting the company because the administration dislikes the viewpoints expressed on ABC programs.

“The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: Accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” ABC wrote.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has now entered the fight, filing a Freedom of Information Act request seeking records about the FCC’s decision to require early renewal applications from the ABC stations.

The organization said the publicly stated reason for the move “does not seem credible in context” and raised concerns that the government may be using its authority to punish protected speech.

ABC put the stakes even more bluntly in its filing, warning of “a media industry too fearful of official reprisal to report the news freely.”