More than 16,000 public comments flooded the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday, just hours after ABC called on its army of "The View" fans to fight back against the Trump administration.Viewers shared their concerns that the people who appear on the show should be determined by the show's journalists, hosts and producers. In February, the FCC announced it had launched a probe into the popular daytime talk show.ABC on Monday released a new video urging viewers of the long-running talk show to make their voices heard. And fans were clear they don't want the government to censor it."I am outraged that the Trump administration is using heavy-handed tactics to go after 'The View.' It is clear that this action is motivated by the administration's distaste for some of the people on 'The View.' This is impermissible viewpoint discrimination, a clear 1st Amendment violation. It's the kind of thing I'd expect in Russia, Turkey, or Argentina — not in the United States. Leave 'The View' and ABC alone and stop using authoritarian tactics against this bona fide news interview program. Shame on those responsible for this odious effort to silence critics of the administration," Chris Edelson wrote."'The View' is where viewers get to hear opposing viewpoints like JD Vance, who appeared just last week. They need to be allowed to continue to have on politicians that agree to come on air, not just when they meet certain guidelines that are impossible to meet. With social media, those old guidelines are outdated and need to be struck down since everyone has a media platform now," Diana Brown Mackey wrote."I don’t believe the FCC should be able to control which people are permitted to appear/not appear on 'The View.' I believe this is an infringement on one’s free speech, and should not be allowed. If the FCC controls the show’s content, they are not allowing for an independent, objective and diverse group of women’s voices—which is the whole premise of this very special, award-winning show," Michele Wolff wrote."Stop restricting free speech. You should be ashamed of your abuse of power while holding this office," John Henry, Jr. wrote."I am a long-term viewer of 'The View' and have enjoyed and learned from my favorite guests and many notable interviews from diverse backgrounds. Now the FCC wants to control who appears on the show to please the president. This will ruin the show and constrict free speech. I oppose this action by the FCC, and it makes me ashamed of the United States government. This is the wrong move and bad leadership," Elizabeth Ogbomon wrote.
