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President Trump on Saturday said a broadcast network should lose its license if it is dishonest, as the controversy surrounding ABC’s suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission swirled.
“Well, I think when a network is dishonest, certainly, they are dishonest, because they give you 97 percent bad publicity, or what ever it is, some ridiculous number, yeah, I would say that would be grounds,” Trump said in response to a question about what the grounds would be for losing a license.
Trump, who spoke from just outside the White House on Saturday evening as he departed to give remarks at an event, also denied his administration was responsible for Kimmel’s suspension, saying he thought it was because of Kimmel’s ratings.
“I think Jimmy Kimmel’s terrible. You know what suspended him? His talent. Take a look at this guy, his ratings. That’s what got Jimmy Kimmel out. He was terrible,” Trump said.
ABC indefinitely suspended Kimmel the same day FCC Chair Brendan Carr called on broadcasters to push back at ABC over remarks Kimmel made about the suspect arrested for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Carr’s remarks were widely see as pressuring both ABC and its affiliates.
Carr and Trump have both previously said this week that they think broadcast licenses should be taken away from those who do not treat the president fairly.
Trump discussed a number of other issues with reporters before his departure.
He said he believed he would be meeting with about 20 foreign leaders at annual meetings next week at the United Nations.
He also said he was open to meeting with Democratic leaders in Congress to try to avoid a shutdown that will begin on Oct. 1 without a new funding deal.
But Trump did not sound optimistic about the meetings.
“I’d love to meet with them but I don’t think it’s going to have any impact,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) asked for a meeting with Trump.
