Analysis: What Disney is thinking as it faces a First Amendment fight with Trump | CNN Business

Let’s imagine what it’s like to be Josh D’Amaro right now. You became the CEO of Disney about six weeks ago. You don’t want to be a political actor. But President Trump’s bullying is forcing you into a First Amendment fight you never asked for. You know it’s not a coincidence that the FCC is challenging your ABC broadcast licenses just as Trump is demanding you fire Jimmy Kimmel over a joke. You might not have liked the joke. You might have thought it was tasteless. But it doesn’t really matter now. You know that your American employee base — which, it’s safe to say, is at least as anti-Trump as the overall US population — is watching every move Disney does or doesn’t make. You know your legal case to defend the stations is strong. After all, Trump has been retributively threatening your licenses for years. It’s a wonder Brendan Carr didn’t do this sooner. Kimmel’s message to Trump in wake of FCC challenge to ABC: The show goes on You know you can afford the legal bills. But you might still question whether a prolonged fight is in the company’s best interests overall, since broadcast assets are declining in the digital, streaming age. You might feel li