President Donald Trump seems to be suddenly at war with ABC News, mocking a reporter on social media and threatening over its coverage of his administration’s struggles to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
And ABC is taking initiative against the president's threats, asking the public to support them by signing a petition HERE. In support of the petition, the network launched an on-air and digital campaign criticizing the FCC for wanting to control who can appear on "The View," which has been on the air for over three decades.
Disney asked the FCC to consider exempting "The View" from the equal time requirement for over-the-air broadcast news shows after Trump friend and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr launched a probe after the show featured a Democratic candidate for Senate.
The Communications Act requires broadcast networks to provide equal airtime opportunities to all candidates if one candidate is featured, but allows a "bona fide news" exemption, which allows them to interview candidates based on newsworthiness without triggering the equal time obligation.
Meanwhile, President Trump threatened the venerable news network on Truth Social over its reporting of his $14 million renovation of the Lincoln Reflection Pool, that quickly turned green with an algae bloom and suffered peeling paint floating to the surface.
“In describing the Vandalism that took place at the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., ABC FAKE NEWS, one of the worst in the business, even paying me $16,000,000 for past bad and inaccurate reporting, failed to report that their close ‘friends,’ Dumocrats Obama and Biden, spent over 100 Million Dollars on the Reflecting Pool, and it never worked. In fact, it was rarely open due to leaks and stench. They wanted to spend 300 to 400 Million Dollars, but just let it ROT.
"I spent approximately 16 Million Dollars, and it came out great, except for the Vandalism, which we are now fixing. It was also a much bigger job than originally envisioned, including the outer areas and sidewalks. We are preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting. I like their money, which will be given to the U.S. Treasury!” Trump wrote.
He even attacked one ABC reporter specifically for a report on the renovation.
"Lightweight ABC Reporter, Jonathan Karl, was seen sticking his hand into the Pool, and trying to rip the rubber off of the surface. The algae is 75% gone, and the condition will soon be completely remedied, and the area that was vandalized, fortunately, is just a small area of damage, and will be fixed early next week. It’s a shame that the Radical Left Lunatics, most likely Dumocats, who have spent their lives trying to ruin our Country, are free to do so," ranted the president of the United States.
Karl had filmed a segment about the renovation where he touched a strip of peeling paint floating at the top of the pool. It's on ABC News’ YouTube channel.
While Trump wages that battle and his FCC takes aim at "The View" and "Jimmy Kimmel," whom Trump managed to briefly get off the air, Carr took to X to make his case.
Disney wants the FCC to classify 'The View' as a "bona fide news program" under federal law.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) June 22, 2026
Doing so would exempt 'The View' from the political equal time requirements that Congress passed decades ago.
What do you think? Is 'The View' bona fide news? https://t.co/uf6oDXxUCC
ABC News is owned by Disney, and the FCC has been reviewing Disney-owned local affiliates' broadcast licenses to ensure they "serve the public interest." They also say they've been investigating Disney's diversity policies.
“Some may dislike certain — or even most — of the viewpoints expressed on ‘The View’ or similar shows,” ABC said in a 52-page response to the FCC attempting to review their broadcast licenses. “Such dislike, however, cannot justify using regulatory processes to restrict those views.”
