US President Donald Trump has bashed US media coverage that he claimed was unduly negative and therefore "illegal," stoking a debate over free speech following the suspension of comedian Jimmy Kimmel's TV show by ABC.
"They'll take a great story and they'll make it bad. See I think it's really illegal, personally," Mr Trump, who has sued multiple major news organisations this year, told reporters gathered in the Oval Office.
The 79-year-old Republican, an avid television watcher, chiefly focused his diatribe on US television networks, reiterating a claim that coverage of him and his administration is "97% bad."
He also defended the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, whose threats against broadcasters have sparked a national debate over free speech and caused some unease even among Republicans.
Mr Carr on Wednesday criticised Mr Kimmel's remarks on the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and threatened broadcasters who carry his show with possible sanctions.
Mr Trump yesterday said yesterday that TV broadcasters should lose their licenses over negative coverage of his administration.
Watch: Trump says networks should 'maybe' lose their licence over negative coverage
Hours later, ABC announced Mr Kimmel's show was suspended indefinitely.
Yesterday Mr Trump called Mr Carr "an incredible American patriot with courage".
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a close Trump ally, meanwhile said he believes it is dangerous for a government to put itself in a position to say what speech it may or may not like.
Commenting on Mr Carr's threat to fine broadcasters or pull their licenses over the content of their shows, Mr Cruz referenced a Martin Scorsese gangster movie.
"I got to say that's right out of 'Goodfellas'," Mr Cruz said.
"That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, 'Nice bar you have here. It would be a shame if something happened to it.'"
Mr Trump himself faced a setback in his personal anti-media crusade, with a federal judge issuing a scathing ruling and tossing out his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.
