FCC chair slammed for threatening broadcasters | TV Shows

Brendan Car is dealing with backlash after dubbing the media “fake news” and issuing a menace that broadcasters face dropping their licenses unless they change the way in which they report on current occasions, including Donald Trump’s presidency and the U.S. and Israel’s ongoing conflict with Iran.

On Saturday, March 14, the 47-year-old Republican-appointed Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission shared a Truth Social post made by the 79-year-old president, which accused the media of “intentionally misleading” the viewing public, along with a prolonged assertion on X.

The prolonged post started, “Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions — also known as the fake news — have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.”

Carr then wrote, “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest,” including that broadcasters “will lose their licenses if they do not,” in a chilling assertion that many have characterised as a menace to the First Amendment.

The chilling post continued, “The American people have subsidized broadcasters to the tune of billions of dollars by providing free access to the nation’s airwaves. It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news.”

“When a political candidate is able to win a landslide election victory after in the face of hoaxes and distortions, there is something very wrong. It means the public has lost faith and confidence in the media. And we can’t allow that to happen. Time for change!”

People had been fast to condemn the post, accusing Carr of violating the First Amendment, which protects the freedom of the press from authorities control, censorship, or punishment for publishing info, opinions, or criticism.

One X consumer replied, “How anti-American can you get, Brendan Carr? Shame on you,” as another chimed in, “It sure seems to me like Trump’s government is abridging freedom of speech and freedom of the Press. Seems to me Brendan Carr is an Oath breaker and a traitor.”

A 3rd consumer commented, “Brendan Carr needs to be impeached today. Not tomorrow. Today. Like right this very instant.”

Among the outraged was California Governor Gavin Newsom, a longtime vocal opposer of Donald Trump and his administration, who slammed Carr’s post as “flagrantly unconstitutional.” The Democratic politician fumed, “If Trump doesn’t like your coverage of the war, his FCC will pull your broadcast license.”