Stop Trump’s FCC from Retaliating Against Media Outlets

Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission is threatening to punish news outlets for reporting on his war with Iran.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr warned that television networks could lose their broadcast licenses if they don’t “correct course” in their coverage of the conflict. The warning came after Trump blasted news outlets for reporting on damage to U.S. military assets and other developments in the war. Carr echoed those complaints, suggesting broadcasters airing what he calls “news distortions” could face consequences when their licenses come up for renewal.

That is a direct attack on the First Amendment. And it isn’t an isolated incident. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce oversee the FCC, and they must launch immediate oversight hearings to investigate Carr’s threats and hold him accountable.

Add your name now to demand these committees launch oversight hearings, hold Carr accountable, and make clear that federal regulators cannot be used to intimidate journalists or silence the press.

Carr has repeatedly used the power of the FCC to pressure media companies and entertainers who criticize the Trump administration. He has lashed out at late-night hosts like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, echoing Trump’s complaints and signaling that networks could face scrutiny over programming the president dislikes.

This pattern mirrors Trump’s own relentless attacks on the press. The president routinely labels journalists “fake news,” threatens to strip broadcast licenses from networks that report critically on him, and pressures media companies to silence voices who refuse to parrot his false claims.

If federal regulators can punish networks for coverage the president dislikes — especially reporting about war — then the United States is drifting toward something dangerous: a government that expects the press to act as its propaganda arm.

Tell the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce: “Investigate FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s threats against broadcasters and defend the First Amendment from political retaliation.”

The petition to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce reads: “Investigate FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s threats against broadcasters and defend the First Amendment from political retaliation.”