US President Donald Trump on Friday attacked US media reporting, stating it is too negative and hence "illegal," sparking a new controversy over free speech after ABC suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel's television show.
"They'll take a tremendous story and they'll make it bad. See I think it's really illegal, personally," said Trump, who has sued multiple major news organizations this year.
The 79-year-old Republican, a staunch TV watcher, was critical mostly of US TV networks, echoing his claim that coverage of him and his administration is "97 percent bad."
Trump also came to the defense of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, whose admonitions to broadcasters have sparked a national free-speech debate and caused alarm even among some Republicans.
Carr had condemned Kimmel on Wednesday for his comments on the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and threatened that broadcasters of his show might be sanctioned.
ABC followed up hours later by announcing that Kimmel's show would be suspended indefinitely.
Friday saw Trump commend Carr, praising him as "an incredible American patriot with courage."
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a close ally of Trump, meanwhile criticized the government for telling people what speech it deems acceptable.
In reference to Carr's threat to fine broadcasters, possibly, or take away their licenses regarding content, Cruz compared the situation to a popular gangster movie. "I've got to say that's straight out of 'Goodfellas', Cruz stated. "That's straight out of a mafioso walking into a bar saying, 'Nice bar you've got there. It would be a shame if something were to occur to it.'"
Trump did encounter a defeat in his own struggle against the media, though, with a federal court judge throwing out his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, in a strongly critical opinion.
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