Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Representative Joe Neguse issued the following statement after President Donald Trump endorsed the Nexstar Media-Tegna merger. The deal violates federal law and the national broadcast ownership cap, and jeopardizes the growth and independence of Colorado’s local news outlets.
“Today, Donald Trump backed a media merger that will have devastating consequences for local news in Colorado and for American journalism writ large. By designating news outlets he dislikes as ‘the enemy,’ Trump has continued his baseless attack on reporters who devote their careers to investigating those in power and holding them to account. This administration’s ongoing effort is an attempt to obscure the clear abuses being perpetrated by the president and his allies, while depriving communities across the country of reliable, accessible local news. It is precisely why we fought against this reckless and illegal merger last year. We will continue doing everything we can to oppose this dangerous erosion of one of the most essential pillars of our democracy.”
The Colorado lawmakers have been leading an effort to block this merger. In October 2025, Bennet and Neguse sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, imploring the agency to put community interest over corporate profit and reject the Nexstar Media-Tegna merger.
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