President Donald Trump’s contentious relationship with U.S. news organizations has led to a host of legal battles and disputes, the latest of which came with ABC’s suspension and \u2014 days later \u2014 return of the \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d show<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trump had celebrated the suspension of Kimmel<\/a>, a veteran late-night comic and frequent critic of the president and his policies, calling it \u201cgreat news for America.\u201d<\/p>\n Kimmel was pulled last week after a monologue included a reference to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk<\/a>, and compared Trump\u2019s grief to \u201chow a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.\u201d<\/p>\n FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, said his agency had a strong case for holding Kimmel, ABC and its parent company Walt Disney Co., accountable for spreading misinformation. Nexstar and Sinclair<\/a>, two of ABC\u2019s largest affiliate owners, said they would pull the show from their stations.<\/p>\n But by Monday, ABC said the show would be back on starting Tuesday.<\/p>\n Here is a look at some of the key disputes Trump has had with media over his second term:<\/p>\n ABC said in a statement that the decision to reinstate the show came after days of \u201cthoughtful conversations” with Kimmel, who has hosted his show on ABC since 2003.<\/p>\n Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA, the organization founded by Kirk, said in a statement on X: \u201cDisney and ABC caving and allowing Kimmel back on the air is not surprising, but it\u2019s their mistake to make. Nexstar and Sinclair do not have to make the same choice.\u201d<\/p>\n Sinclair announced on X on Monday that it plans to replace the show with news programming, saying that \u201cdiscussions with ABC are ongoing as we evaluate the show\u2019s potential return.\u201d<\/p>\n Nexstar and Sinclair did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.<\/p>\n Word of Kimmel’s return came after hundreds of movie, TV and stage stars as well as comedians, directors and writers added their names to an open letter<\/a> Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union that says it is \u201ca dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n A Florida federal judge tossed out a $15 billion defamation lawsuit<\/a> that Trump filed against The New York Times. U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday ruled that Trump\u2019s lawsuit was overly long and was full of \u201ctedious and burdensome\u201d language that had no bearing on the legal case.<\/p>\n \u201cA complaint is not a megaphone for public relations or a podium for a passionate oration at a political rally,\u201d Merryday wrote in the order. \u201cThis action will begin, will continue, and will end in accord with the rules of procedure and in a professional and dignified manner.\u201d<\/p>\n The judge ruled that Trump has 28 days to file an amended complaint that should not exceed 40 pages in length.<\/p>\n The lawsuit targeted four of the newspaper\u2019s journalists, a book and three articles published within a two-month period before the 2024 presidential election.<\/p>\n The book and an article written by Times reporters Russ Buettner and Susanne Craig focused on Trump\u2019s finances and his pre-presidency starring role in television\u2019s \u201cThe Apprentice.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump also cited an article by Peter Baker last Oct. 20 headlined \u201cFor Trump, a Lifetime of Scandals Heads Toward a Moment of Judgment” and a Michael S. Schmidt piece two days later featuring an interview with Trump\u2019s first-term chief of staff, John Kelly, headlined \u201cAs Election Nears, Kelly Warns Trump Would Rule Like a Dictator.\u201d<\/p>\n The Times has called the lawsuit meritless and an attempt to discourage independent reporting.<\/p>\n Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit<\/a> against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch whose News Corp owns the paper. The move came a day after the Journal published a story reporting on his ties to financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.<\/a><\/p>\n The article described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump\u2019s name and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein\u2019s 50th birthday.<\/p>\n The Justice Department had earlier asked a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein\u2019s sex trafficking case. The Trump administration had announced it would not be releasing additional files from the case.<\/p>\n CBS announced it would cancel \u201cThe Late Show With Stephen Colbert\u201d<\/a> next May. Colbert is one of Trump\u2019s most prominent and persistent late-night critics. CBS said \u201cLate Show\u201d was canceled for financial reasons, not for content. However, the announcement came three days after Colbert criticized the settlement between Trump and CBS parent company Paramount Global over the \u201c60 Minutes\u201d story.<\/p>\n Paramount Global decided to pay Trump $16 million<\/a> to settle a lawsuit regarding editing<\/a> of a CBS\u2019 \u201c60 Minutes\u201d interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris last October. At the time Harris was the Democratic candidate for president.<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s lawyers claimed he suffered \u201cmental anguish\u201d following the interview and sued for $20 billion. The company was hoping to put the issue to rest as it sought administration approval of a merger<\/a>. Paramount, which owns CBS, said the money will go to Trump\u2019s future presidential library and to pay his legal fees.<\/p>\n Trump signed an executive order<\/a> aimed at slashing public subsidies to PBS and NPR and alleged \u201cbias\u201d in the broadcasters\u2019 reporting. His order instructed the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies \u201cto cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS\u201d and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations.<\/p>\n Later that month, NPR and three of its local stations sued Trump<\/a>, arguing that the order violated their free speech and relies on an authority that he does not have. This summer, Congress approved eliminating $1.1 billion allocated to public broadcasting.<\/p>\n Trump decided to remove the AP from the White House press pool. That meant AP journalists no longer would have access<\/a> to the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events not open to a full press corps. The move was in retaliation for AP\u2019s decision not to follow his lead in changing the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in all instances.<\/p>\n The AP Stylebook calls for referring to the body of water by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump chose. The reasoning is that AP disseminates news around the world and must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.<\/p>\n The wire service later sued Trump and a district court sided with the AP in April,<\/a> affirming on First Amendment grounds that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech. A federal appeals court in June stayed that decision<\/a>.<\/p>\nSept. 22: ABC reinstates Kimmel\u2019s late night show<\/h2>\n
Sept. 19: Judges tosses Trump’s lawsuit against New York Times<\/h2>\n
July 18: Trump sues The Wall Street Journal<\/h2>\n
July 18: \u2018The Late Show With Stephen Colbert\u2019 canceled<\/h2>\n
July 2: CBS owner agrees to settlement with Trump<\/h2>\n
May 1: Trump slashes funding for PBS and NPR<\/h2>\n
Feb. 12: Trump removes the AP from White House press pool<\/h2>\n
December 2024: ABC agrees to settle defamation lawsuit<\/h2>\n