WASHINGTON, DC — A viral online claim suggesting that Donald Trump has issued a final ultimatum to ABC and NBC—threatening to pull their broadcast licenses by 2027 unless they overhaul their news divisions—is circulating widely across social media platforms.
The rumor stems from a widely shared post alleging that executives at both networks received a strict 12-point memo outlining mandatory changes. According to the online narrative, the former president accused the networks of failing to report the truth and placed them “on the chopping block” over their ongoing coverage.
Fact Check: The Viral Claim is False
An investigation into the rumor reveals no factual basis or official evidence supporting the claim that Trump has formally blocked the 2027 license renewals for ABC and NBC.
Instead, the viral post appears to exaggerate and conflate several distinct, real-world tensions involving the networks, the administration, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC):
- The FCC Review of ABC Stations: In April 2026, the FCC initiated an accelerated review of broadcast license renewals for eight Disney/ABC-owned television stations, well ahead of their standard 2028 renewal timeline. The agency cited questions regarding employment practices, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, and the broader “public interest” standard. ABC strongly pushed back against the move, labeling it an unconstitutional act of retaliation.
- Live Broadcast Disputes: Friction escalated in July 2026 when ABC and NBC opted not to broadcast Trump’s primetime election-security speech live on their primary television networks, carrying it via streaming platforms instead. In response, Trump publicly criticized the networks and called for scrutiny of their licenses, while FCC Chair Brendan Carr indicated that the scheduling decision could potentially factor into existing station reviews.
Despite these regulatory disputes and public disagreements, legal scholars emphasize that the First Amendment provides robust protections that prevent the government from revoking broadcast licenses simply to punish a network’s editorial choices or news coverage.
Ultimately, there are no official regulatory filings, credible news reports, or White House directives confirming the existence of a 12-point reform memo or a definitive decision to deny ABC and NBC their 2027 broadcast licenses.