The Federal Communications Commission is investigating ABC's The View in what Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez calls an attempt to intimidate critics of the Trump administration. The probe reportedly stems from an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, with FCC sources telling Fox News that fake news will no longer get a free pass.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr previously indicated the agency would investigate The View after pressuring ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel. In January, the FCC warned that daytime and late-night talk shows may no longer qualify for the bona fide news exemption to equal-time rules. The investigation follows Trump's repeated calls to revoke licenses from networks critical of his administration.

Gomez, the only Democratic commissioner, urged broadcasters to stand strong against what she calls unfounded attacks. She emphasized that the First Amendment protects programs' rights to cover newsworthy issues without government interference. The FCC's action represents a dramatic shift from previous administrations, where chairs like Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai rejected similar license revocation threats. Carr has declared the FCC is no longer independent from the White House and has repeatedly threatened station licenses on Trump's behalf.