Ana Navarro Warns Future Dems Will Flip Trump’s ‘Selective’ FCC Crackdown on Talk Radio: ‘Let’s See How Republicans Like It!’

The View co-host Ana Navarro branded the Federal Communication Commission’s equal-time rule “outdated” and blasted the Trump administration for “selective” enforcement action against her show for its interview with Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico.

Speaking on CNN Newsnight hours after FCC chairman Brendan Carr confirmed the probe, Navarro accused the agency of reviving an antiquated framework that no longer reflects the modern media ecosystem.

“These rules and these laws are outdated and just don’t conform to the modern media landscape,” Navarro said. “The equal-time rule was founded in, what, 1927. There wasn’t even TV networks then. It was reformed in 1934, it actually applied to radio. And in 1959, when there were three networks, it was reformed to exempt news programs. The View falls under the news division on ABC. So, today, you can get news and more eyeballs on YouTube and streaming and social media than many programs do on network TV or cable TV.”

She continued: “And it seems like the application of these rules is very selective — only for these folks, but not for radio. Then, you know what, there may come a president in the next term who decides that he wants to or she wants to apply it to talk radio. Let’s see how Republicans like it.”

Later Navarro mocked Trump and administration officials for sticking to the “safety bubble” of conservative-leaning networks: “One of the ironies is that, you know, they b*tch and moan about equal time, but I can tell you that I am sure all of these programs that Trump hates have invited Trump and his vice president and his cabinet and a bunch of Republicans to come on, and they choose not to come on because they like to go to the safety bubble of Fox News.”

Carr argued Wednesday that the agency is simply “hold[ing] broadcasters accountable,” confirming on Fox News that the FCC had “started enforcement proceedings” after The View hosted Talarico and his primary rival Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) weeks apart.

The confirmation comes days after The Late Show host Stephen Colbert said CBS lawyers blocked him from airing a Talarico interview citing FCC concerns, a claim the network denies. Carr has maintained the equal-time rule is about “stopping legacy media from picking winners and losers in elections.”

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!