Washington DC - Walt Disney-owned ABC sued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Tuesday, accusing the regulatory body of waging a retaliatory campaign against the network on behalf of President Donald Trump.

"Acting through the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration has waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason: it disapproves of what ABC broadcast," the suit says.

"Over time, those attacks have escalated into express demands that ABC be stripped of its broadcast licenses because of its speech."

The lawsuit comes after the FCC earlier this year asked ABC TV stations to renew their broadcast licenses earlier than scheduled.

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The president has lashed out at ABC on numerous occasions and has suggested revoking the broadcast licenses of stations he claims are "almost 100% negative" towards him, which FCC Chair Brendan Carr has threatened to carry out.

Disney and ABC argued in their suit that the Trump administration has "steadily increased the pressure on ABC, culminating in the present threat to the licenses of eight ABC-owned stations.

"The Commission has demanded a review of the Stations' licenses extraordinarily early," it says. "That timing underscores the Commission's true purpose: coercing and retaliating against a network that refuses to bow to the administration's demands."

"Facing this existential threat, Plaintiffs have no choice but to seek redress from the judicial branch for the Administration's blatant retaliation for their First Amendment speech," the suit adds.

ABC and Disney asked the court to issue a restraining order preventing the FCC from taking any action against the network's broadcasting licenses, which were not up for renewal until 2028.