Trump says “Humbug” to Colbert, threatens broadcast licenses
There goes Mr. Outrage.
Donald Trump kicked off Christmas Eve with a Scooge-ian series of posts threatening the broadcast licenses of networks that run critical coverage of his administration.
“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!” he posted to Truth Social in the early morning hours on Wednesday.
The president asked one host in particular to hurry up and decrease the surplus population. He said that Stephen Colbert should be “put…to sleep” by CBS, asking the network to end his “pathetic trainwreck” of a show.
“Stephen Colbert is a pathetic trainwreck, with no talent or anything else necessary for show business success. Now, after being terminated by CBS, but left out to dry, he has actually gotten worse, along with his nonexistent ratings,” Trump wrote. “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!”
Colbert was given a pink slip with a long tail this year. His show was cancelled by CBS as the network’s parent company was seeking the Trump administration’s approval of a massive merger with Skydance. Since that successful merger, CBS has signaled further friendliness to Trump. The network installed conservative columnist Bari Weiss as the head of its news division.
Start your day with essential news from Salon.
Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.
The moves don’t appear to have inspired a change of heart in Trump, who has continued to highlight negative coverage and threaten broadcast licenses. In a final post, the president seems to have remembered the season, adding an early message of “Merry Christmas!”
Read more
about this topic
The post Trump says “Humbug” to Colbert, threatens broadcast licenses appeared first on Salon.com.