Former President Donald Trump blasted DirecTV for dropping conservative news network Newsmax.
“This disgusting move comes after ‘deplatforming’ OAN [One America News Network] last year,” Trump said in a message on his Truth Social social-media platform. “The Radical left seems to have taken over the mind and soul of AT&T. This is a big blow to the Republican Party and to America Itself.”
“For DirecTV to drop very popular Newsmax, without explanation, will not be accepted. I, for one, will be dropping all association with AT&T and DirecTV, and I have plenty. This is just one of many reasons why we must win in 2024!!!"
AT&T spun off DirecTV, but remains majority owner.
Newsmax reported the Trump comments on its website.
Donald Trump Jr. called for a boycott of DirecTV in a tweet: “It’s time for Americans to return the favor and drop ATT. @PatriotMobile is the ONLY conservative mobile provider — use code ‘DONJR’ for FREE activation!”
The battle between Newsmax and DirecTV has taken on political as well as business implications.
Leading up to Newsmax losing carriage on DirecTV, Republican members of Congress expressed concern that conservative voices were being stifled and said they might hold hearing into the situation.
After being dropped, Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy accused DirecTV of “political discrimination and censorship.”
DirecTV said it no longer carries Newsmax because it wanted to be paid a carriage fee. The network had been providing its content for free to distributors, generating revenue through advertising.
"The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T's DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN needed to be deplatformed,” Ruddy said.
DirecTV told the Republican lawmakers that its carriage decision was based on “economic, not ideology,” insisting that at a time when cord-cutting is rampant, increasing the cost to consumers was something it couldn't afford to do. ■
