FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned broadcasters in a tweet Wednesday that they shouldn’t be distributing so-called “fake polls,” a common refrain from President Donald Trump. Carr, who has threatened TV broadcasters in the past, wrote that they now have the opportunity to provide “additional context and information,” suggesting that his agency may punish any network that steps out of line by airing polls the President doesn’t like.
“During this election season, there has been a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls designed to do nothing more than interfere with the regular functioning of the electoral process and alter the normal patterns of voter turnout and enthusiasm,” wrote Carr.
It’s unclear what Carr is referring to specifically, but President Trump has frequently complained about polls that fail to show him enjoying overwhelming public support.
In reality, Trump has been shown to be incredibly unpopular across a wide variety of polls during the past year, driven largely by the fact that inflation has surged while wages are flat. Trump has slapped countless goods with tariffs, sending prices higher, and started a war against Iran on Feb. 28 that has also driven inflation, especially for food and fuel.
Carr continued his tweet by insisting that “many journalists and broadcasters” have been sharing information from supposedly fake polls “without regard to basic journalistic ethics and without informing the public that those Polls lack a scientific, accurate, or even real basis.”
President Trump’s approval rating currently sits at just 31%, according to Reuters. A year ago, the Reuters poll had him at 42%. According to a new poll released Wednesday by the New York Times and Siena University, Trump’s approval rating is 36%. The same poll a year ago was 43%.
Carr warned that broadcasters are “prohibited by the terms of their federal licenses from engaging in News Distortion or promoting Broadcast Hoaxes,” though he offered no specific examples of broadcasters engaging in either practice. The FCC regulates TV stations that broadcast on the free airwaves but doesn’t have the same oversight when it comes to cable TV.
Trump has previously said that any TV network that criticizes him should lose its license. And while no station has lost its license so far, Trump has been successful in pressuring some networks to push out certain on-air personalities like Stephen Colbert. Trump tried to do the same with Jimmy Kimmel but failed to ultimately oust him from ABC following popular backlash and a boycott.
“Broadcasters are advised to avoid engaging in News Distortions or running Broadcast Hoaxes by airing Polls that would violate their regulatory obligations,” wrote Carr.
The FCC chairman finished his tweet with a thinly veiled threat: “If broadcasters believe they should provide their viewers with additional context and information about Polls they have covered, they can now take those actions consistent with FCC regulations.”
Carr has spoken at campaign rallies for Republican candidates in the lead-up to the midterms, something that opponents say is a violation of the Hatch Act. Two groups, Democracy Defenders Fund and Reporters Without Borders, recently filed a Hatch Act complaint over Carr’s speech at a rally for Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska earlier this month.
