Dec. 1 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump has again threatened a television network over its coverage, this time in relation to the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files.
The president has no direct role in broadcast licensing but he does have influence through the FCC. Even absent action, a president's threats can have a coercive effect, sparking networks to preemptively curb speech the president does not like out of fear of retaliation, former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler who served under President Barack Obama, told UPI.
"Contrary to the First Amendment and established FCC precedent, the president keeps calling on the chairman of the FCC to take action that can only be considered to be retribution and intimidation and it's unprecedented, unlawful and tragic," Wheeler told UPI.
In recent weeks Trump aired out his desires to see television hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers removed, while Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr made overtures about retaliating over content, which has free speech advocates on alert.
"I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake and wrong," Trump told ABC News reporter Mary Bruce after she asked why he was waiting to release the Epstein files.
