Trump Demands ABC Fire Donna Brazile, Calls For More Payout From Network

President Trump blasted ABC News on Sunday night, demanding the firing of contributor Donna Brazile after she criticized his administration, and insisting the network owed him additional compensation following its multimillion-dollar settlement with him.

The outburst came just hours after Brazile, the former Democratic National Committee chair, accused Trump of acting “petty” and “vindictive” by revoking Secret Service protection for former Vice President Kamala Harris during an appearance on This Week. She also condemned his trade policies, warning that his tariffs had “created a level of uncertainty that the American people can’t afford.”

“Why does Fake News ABC’S This Week With George Slopadopolus have Low IQ ‘commentator’ Donna Brazile on the show?” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Wasn’t she totally discredited when she gave Crooked Hillary Clinton the questions to a Debate??? Wasn’t she FIRED by Fake News CNN for so doing???”

Trump pressed further, demanding ABC sever ties not only with Brazile but also with contributor Chris Christie, while claiming the broadcaster still owed him money. “Why would ABC ‘News’ hire such a dumb retread? Check out her disastrous interview with Megyn Kelly from years ago – A total Classic!!! Donna is dumb as a rock, and a liar besides,” he continued.

“She, and Sloppy Chris Christie, should be fired from a highly discredited ABC Fake News. They just paid me $16,000,000 for ‘inaccurate’ reporting, now they should pay me more!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT.”

The $16 million figure Trump referenced stemmed from ABC’s 2024 defamation settlement after host George Stephanopoulos falsely claimed Trump was “found liable” for assault in the civil case brought by E. Jean Carroll. The network issued an on-air apology and pledged contributions toward Trump’s presidential library.

Trump has escalated his rhetoric against mainstream outlets in recent weeks. Just days earlier, he branded ABC and NBC “the most biased” networks in America and even suggested the Federal Communications Commission should revoke their broadcast licenses.

Brazile, 65, has long been a controversial figure in political media. She resigned as interim DNC chair in 2016 after hacked emails revealed she had leaked debate questions to Hillary Clinton’s campaign. CNN cut ties with her soon after, but she later re-emerged as a commentator and joined ABC News in 2019.

During Sunday’s broadcast, Brazile directly attacked Trump’s record, saying his removal of Harris’ Secret Service detail highlighted his “obsession with personal feuds.” She added, “This is petty, this is vindictive, and it makes the American people less safe.”

She also stood by her critique of his trade agenda, stating, “Donald Trump’s tariffs have created a level of uncertainty that the American people can’t afford.”

Meanwhile, Christie, the former New Jersey governor, remains a frequent Trump critic on ABC panels. Once an ally, he broke with Trump after the 2020 election and has consistently attacked him since. Trump, in turn, has hinted at pressing for renewed federal scrutiny of Christie’s involvement in the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal.