‘Dead man walking!’ Trump urges network to put late-night host ‘to sleep NOW’ as ‘humanitarian thing to do’
PALM BEACH, Florida – Just after midnight Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump went on a tear against major television networks and their late-night personalities, as he threatened to terminate their broadcast licenses due to unfavorable coverage of him and his allies.
Trump personally singled out Stephen Colbert of CBS, calling him a “dead man walking,” since the network is not renewing his “Late Show.”
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings. Stephen is running on hatred and fumes ~ A dead man walking! CBS should, ‘put him to sleep,’ NOW, it is the humanitarian thing to do!'”
The president then wondered aloud: “Who has the worst Late Night host, CBS, ABC, or NBC??? They all have three things in common: High Salaries, No Talent, REALLY LOW RATINGS!”
Trump then reiterated a theme about yanking the broadcast licenses of networks.
“If Network NEWSCASTS, and their Late Night Shows, are almost 100% Negative to President Donald J. Trump, MAGA, and the Republican Party, shouldn’t their very valuable Broadcast Licenses be terminated? I say, YES!” Trump wrote.
He concluded with a final post exclaiming: “MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!”
This is not the first time Trump has threatened action against top networks.
As WorldNetDaily reported in August, Trump urged severe action be taken against ABC and NBC News, claiming their “crooked journalism” should not be rewarded.
Trump indicated: “Despite a very high popularity and, according to many, among the greatest 8 months in Presidential History, ABC & NBC FAKE NEWS, two of the worst and most biased networks in history, give me 97% BAD STORIES.
“IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEY ARE SIMPLY AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AND SHOULD, ACCORDING TO MANY, HAVE THEIR LICENSES REVOKED BY THE FCC. I would be totally in favor of that because they are so biased and untruthful, an actual threat to our Democracy!!!”
He added: “Why is it that ABC and NBC FAKE NEWS, two of the absolute worst and most biased networks anywhere in the World, aren’t paying Millions of Dollars a year in LICENSE FEES.
“They should lose their Licenses for their unfair coverage of Republicans and/or Conservatives, but at a minimum, they should pay up BIG for having the privilege of using the most valuable airwaves anywhere at anytime!!!
“Crooked ‘journalism’ should not be rewarded, it should be terminated!!!”
The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, actually does not have the power to cancel broadcasting licenses for the networks, but it can revoke or deny renewals of licenses for local stations affiliated with them.
In September, in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Disney-owned ABC temporarily canceled the late-night show of Jimmy Kimmel due to controversial remarks the network said were “offensive and insensitive.”
Kimmel had said in his monologue, “We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them – and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Trump reacted to Kimmel’s ouster at the time, saying: “Great News for America: The ratings challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is CANCELLED. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done.
“Kimmel has ZERO talent, and worse ratings than even Colbert, if that’s possible. That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers, on Fake News NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it NBC!!!”
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