Former President Donald Trump overnight joined the outcry against DirecTV's removal of Newsmax from its channel lineup, calling it "disgusting" and saying that the move was a "big blow to the Republican Party and to America itself." "WOW. AT&T DIRECTV REMOVES NEWSMAX FROM ITS CHANNEL LINEUP," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. "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. 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 more than 13 million customers on the satellite service, DirecTV Stream, and U-Verse from accessing the network. The move marked the second time in the past year that AT&T has canceled a conservative channel after it dropped the One America News Network (OAN) last April when the conservative network's contract ran out. Trump made several statements calling for a boycott on AT&T and DirecTV after the satellite provider announced last January that it would not be renewing OAN's contract. The former president said that the decision came because AT&T "could not put up with" how popular the conservative network had become. He also called for boycotts on AT&T, DirecTV, and other platforms that he said were seeking to suppress or cancel conservative speech. "AT&T is closing the very popular One America News Network (OAN) because too many people are watching," Trump said in a Save America PAC statement. "Conservatives/Republicans should boycott DirecTV, and while you're at it, 'Concast's' Xfinity as well. These are Radical Left Lunatics who are destroying our nation!" he added.
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Yes, Send Me News Alerts via email (Optional for Local News) Privacy: We never share your email address. Trump also called for the boycotts during a rally last January in Conroe, Texas, which aired on Newsmax. "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. And while you're at it, boycott Comcast and Xfinity. I call it Concast, because it's a con job. Because they're no good. They're just no good, and they're so bad for our country." Trump also blasted DirecTV's cancellation of OAN in a separate rally, slamming AT&T and DirecTV for giving in to leftist activists who had called for the removal of the conservative TV network. "One America News has done a great job, and here's the story of what just happened," Trump told a large rally crowd in Florence, Arizona last January. "The woke executives, I don't know what the hell they're doing, they have so much debt. AT&T is a company that is in serious trouble." DirecTV says it removed Newsmax from its channel lineup as a "cost-cutting" measure and would never pay Newsmax a cable license fee. Newsmax is the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in the nation, a top 20 cable news channel overall, and watched by 25 million Americans on cable alone, according to Nielsen ratings. However, 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, and while most of the channels have much lower ratings than 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. Members of Congress are also speaking out against the move by AT&T DirecTV, with 41 Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, sending a letter to the CEOs of AT&T, DirecTV, and hedge fund TPG Capital, the minority operator of the satellite system, warning of hearings. Action You Can Take to Fight AT&T DirecTV's Censorship: 1. If you are a DirecTV customer call them toll free at 877-763-9762 and demand they bring NEWSMAX back on air, or you can CANCEL!
2. Call your Member of Congress or senator at 202-224-3121 and demand they stop AT&T and DirecTV's censorship of conservative media like NEWSMAX! 3. Go to our online petition and get more info at: iWantNewsmax.com. © 2023 Newsmax. All rights reserved. |
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