In late July, following a $16 million settlement with CBS, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to issue stern warnings to NBC and ABC.
He criticized NBC for a significant decline in viewership of nearly 28%, took aim at its management, and accused ABC of inaccurate reporting, suggesting their licenses “could, and should, be revoked.”
In his posts, Trump hailed the CBS settlement as a triumph over “Fake News Media” and cautioned that networks such as NBC, ABC, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, MSNBC, and CNN are now “ON NOTICE” and that their “deceit” will no longer be tolerated.
On July 26, Trump began his online commentary by criticizing NBC’s parent company Comcast, deliberately misspelling it as “Concast,” seemingly alluding to the word “con.”
In a subsequent post on the same day, Trump issued further warnings regarding the networks’ broadcasting rights. He stated that “Networks aren’t allowed to be political pawns for the Democrat Party.” He expressed the view that the situation had become so extreme that their licenses could and should be revoked.
Notably, he spared Fox News, which is often seen as supportive of Trump. These statements came amid increasing tensions with traditional media and followed his earlier remarks suggesting that late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon might face changes in programming.
In May, Trump threatened another lawsuit against ABC News over its coverage of his $400 million aircraft gift from Qatar’s royal family. He criticized ABC’s reporting on Truth Social, referencing a prior $15 million settlement with the Disney-owned network from December concerning statements by anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Trump asserted that ABC should not report that Qatar is providing him with a free Boeing 747 airplane, instead claiming the aircraft is being donated to the United States Air Force and Defense Department. He argued this arrangement would save American taxpayers substantial sums, although reports suggest the cost of retrofitting the plane for presidential use could reach $1 billion.
The president’s social media engagement has surged during his second term, with data indicating he posts to Truth Social an average of 17 times daily. Between January 20 and early June, Trump made over 2,200 posts and reposts on the platform, including more than 1,600 original posts within his first 100 days in office.
His posting rate exceeds by more than three times the number of posts he made on Twitter during the same time frame in his first term. The posts range from routine endorsements of Republican candidates to holiday messages that evolve into extended critiques of perceived adversaries. On Memorial Day, Trump shared a 172-word, all-caps message that began with holiday greetings but quickly shifted to attacks on political opponents.
In mid-July 2025, Trump initiated a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, its parent companies Dow Jones and News Corp, two Journal reporters, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch. He claims that a story about a sexually suggestive birthday note attributed to him and included in a Jeffrey Epstein tribute book was false and defamatory. The case was filed in federal court in Miami, Florida, naming Murdoch and others as defendants, alleging “overwhelming” financial and reputational damage. Trump denied the allegations and stated that settlement negotiations are ongoing; he also requested that the court expedite Murdoch’s deposition.
Earlier in July, Trump settled a lawsuit against CBS News and its parent company Paramount for $16 million, which was filed in late 2024 over a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The settlement funds are earmarked for his future presidential library. As part of the agreement, Paramount consented to release full transcripts of future presidential candidate interviews but did not admit wrongdoing.
In December 2024, Trump reached a $15 million defamation settlement with ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos over an interview that falsely implied he had been found liable for raping E. Jean Carroll. The deal also included $1 million for Trump’s legal fees and an on-air apology from ABC expressing regret for the incorrect characterization.
Trump has also threatened to sue major outlets like The New York Times and CNN over their reporting on a 2025 U.S. strike in Iran. He demanded retractions, claiming their coverage was “false,” “defamatory,” and damaging to his reputation. Neither outlet complied with his demands, and both rejected his claims, asserting their reporting accurately reflected intelligence assessments.
Together, these legal actions signify a notable increase in Trump’s use of litigation as a means of action against media organizations: suing, settling, and threatening networks and publishers regardless of their ideological stance. Analysts caution that this strategy might suppress critical reporting through intimidation or financial strain, even when legal claims are weak or dismissed in court.
Trump continues to make such threats through his preferred communication platform, highlighting how Truth Social has become his primary tool for governance and political messaging during his second term.