FCC Chair Warns Broadcasters Off Trump's "Fake Polls"

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has warned broadcasters not to air polls that President Donald Trump has dismissed as fake. The message puts the weight of the agency behind a complaint the president has repeated in public, and it has drawn criticism from former FCC chairs who say the warning goes beyond polling.

Those former chairs argue that Carr is trying to frighten broadcasters into self-censorship. The FCC licenses broadcast stations, so even a warning that never turns into formal action can make station owners think twice about running material the administration objects to, including accurate reporting. In that view, the polls are a pretext for a broader signal to the industry.

The episode fits a pattern that critics have been tracking. Carr has in recent months pressed broadcasters over coverage that the administration dislikes, and supporters of the agency's approach say it is simply enforcing standards and responding to viewer complaints. The two sides disagree about where legitimate oversight ends and pressure begins.

The available reporting does not make clear what enforcement, if any, would follow the warning, or which stations received it. Until that is spelled out, broadcasters that run polling are left to judge the risk for themselves.