Former President Donald Trump Wednesday night joined the outcry against AT&T DirecTV's removal of Newsmax from its satellite and cable systems, calling it "disgusting" and saying that the move was a "big blow to the Republican Party and to America itself."
In a post on his Truth Social, Trump wrote:
"WOW. AT&T DIRECTV REMOVES NEWSMAX FROM ITS CHANNEL LINEUP. This disgusting move comes after “deplatforming” OAN last year. 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.”
DirecTV customers call toll free at 877-763-9762 to complain, demand Newsmax is returned! Oppose censorship – sign The Petition – Click Here
Trump continued: “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!!!"
Trump's statement came after AT&T's DirecTV cut Newsmax's signal at midnight Tuesday, stopping its delivery to more than 13 million customers on the satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse.
The move is the second time in the past year that AT&T has canceled a conservative channel. It deplatformed the One America News Network (OAN) last April.
AT&T’s decision to deplatform OAN came soon after House Democrats under Nancy Pelosi wrote to major cable and satellite companies, including DirecTV, demanding OAN, Newsmax and Fox News be removed for spreading “misinformation.”
This week DirecTV deplatformed Newsmax, the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, a top 16 channel for daytime among all cable channels and watched by 25 million Americans, according to Nielsen ratings.
Last year Trump also called for a boycott of AT&T and DirecTV after the satellite provider announced last January that it would not be renewing OAN's contract.
"Conservatives/Republicans should boycott [AT&T] DirecTV . . . These are Radical Left Lunatics who are destroying our nation!" Trump said.
Also, at a rally last year Trump added, "If they shut down OAN, you should boycott AT&T and DirecTV," he said. "People love it, and it's got a big audience. It's purely political.”
DirecTV says it removed OAN and Newsmax from its channel lineup as a "cost-cutting" measure.
Newsmax was seeking a small cable license fee, the primary way networks pay for their news coverage, of about $1 a year per cable subscriber. DirecTV pays CNN about $12 a year and MSNBC $8.
DirecTV pays cable license fees to all top 75 cable channels and to all 22 liberal news and information channels it carries, with rates that are significantly more than Newsmax was seeking. Most of these channels have much lower ratings than Newsmax. The company has told the press and Congress it would never pay a license fee to Newsmax.
Company CEO Christopher Ruddy called the cancellation a "blatant act of political discrimination and censorship against Newsmax."
"The most extreme liberal channels, even with tiny ratings, get fees from AT&T's DirecTV, but Newsmax and OAN need to be deplatformed," Ruddy added.
The former president’s call for a renewed boycott was joined Wednesday by his son, Donald Trump Jr.
"Outrageous: ATT just dropped Newsmax!" former President Donald Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. tweeted Wednesday night. "It's time for Americans to return the favor and drop ATT."
Actions to Take Now
1. DirecTV customers call toll free at 877-763-9762 to complain, demand Newsmax is back on air!
2. Call your congressman or senator at 202-224-3121 and demand they stop AT&T/DirecTV's censorship of NEWSMAX — ask them to give you a date on the hearings!
3. Go to our online petition and get more info: iWantNewsmax.com.