The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) received complaints for some news organizations' use of the word "shithole," which President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE reportedly said in an Oval Office meeting on immigration Thursday.

A spokesman for the FCC, which regulates what obscenities can be heard on TV and radio stations, told Variety that the commission had received a "handful" of complaints over coverage of the vulgar phrase.

Trump is said to have referred to "shithole countries" during the meeting with lawmakers Thursday, when they suggested the expansion of temporary amnesty from deportation to several African nations, Haiti and El Salvador.

Mainstream news networks including CNN and NBC aired the word on air, while others such as CBS and ABC censored the president's comment, according to Variety.

ADVERTISEMENT

The commission can issue fines of up to $383,038 for a “single indecent broadcast" between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

In its consideration of individual complaints, the FCC considers the "context" of the language, which in this case came from the nation's commander-in-chief.

Trump drew intense bipartisan backlash for the comments, which he has deniedmaking.

The FCC recently came under fire for its December repeal of net neutrality, an Obama-era regulation on internet providers that mandated equal speeds for all websites.