President Trump didn’t just clash with a reporter this week; he suggested the Federal Communications Commission should actually revoke ABC’s broadcast license after an intense exchange over Jeffrey Epstein and Saudi Arabia. This is a pretty major escalation, and it happened right in the Oval Office on Tuesday while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was looking on.
The confrontation centered on ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent, Mary Bruce. She pressed the president on a few highly sensitive topics, specifically asking about the recent release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Bruce also directed questions at the Crown Prince regarding the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which U.S. intelligence attributes to the Saudi leader.
She also inquired about the Trump family’s business dealings in Saudi Arabia, which the president denies any involvement in. According to Fox, when President Trump learned that Bruce was with ABC, he immediately dismissed the network as “fake news.” He didn’t hold back on his personal assessment of her performance, either. “It’s not the question that I mind. It’s your attitude,” Trump stated at the White House. He went on to call her a “terrible reporter,” accusing her of being “insubordinate” and “mean.”
Trump doesn’t like being questioned about his well-known connections to crime
He argued that Bruce started off by asking the Saudi Crown Prince, whom he called a “highly respected” man, a “horrible” and “terrible question.” Trump told the reporter, “I think the way you ask a question with the anger and the meanness is terrible. You ought to go back and learn how to be a reporter.” He then cut off any further questions from her.
The president specifically suggested that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr should look into removing ABC’s license. This is a bold move, and it’s clear the president views the network as fundamentally biased against him. He insisted the network is biased against him, claiming, “I think the license should be taken away from ABC because your news is so fake. And it’s so wrong.” He doubled down on his accusation that ABC is a “radical-left network” because they aren’t focusing on the “radical left.”
When it came to the Epstein files, the president was quick to defend himself. He insisted he had “nothing to do with” Epstein, whom he called a “sick pervert” he had kicked out of his club many years ago. This is where he shifted the focus, which is a classic move. Trump invoked the names of several Democrats and public figures he claims were much closer to Epstein, saying they were with the convicted sex offender “every single night, every single weekend.”
He listed names like former President Bill Clinton and economist Lawrence Summers. Trump challenged Bruce, saying, “You don’t even talk about those people. You just keep going on the Epstein files.” Clinton has always denied any knowledge of Epstein’s illegal activity. However, Summers recently announced he was stepping back from public life this week after emails released showed extensive exchanges between him and Epstein.
Published: Nov 19, 2025 10:30 am