US President Donald Trump has expressed support for Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who has threatened to revoke the broadcast licences of news organisations that report unfavourably on the war in Iran. In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he was 'thrilled' that Carr was 'looking at the licenses of some of these Corrupt and Highly Unpatriotic “News” Organisations'.
Carr wrote on X on Saturday that 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'. In an interview with Reuters published on Monday, Carr said he could accelerate reviews of licences held by broadcast television stations and that it was possible to revoke licences as a result of pending investigations.
The comments have drawn rebukes from both Democrats and Republicans, who note that the First Amendment protects news organisations from government censorship. Trump also accused Iran of 'working in close coordination with the Fake News Media' to disseminate AI-generated images, including one falsely showing a US aircraft carrier burning at sea. He suggested that media outlets generating such images should face charges for treason.
This is not the first time Trump has threatened broadcasters' licences. Last year, he called for ABC News's licence to be revoked after a reporter asked about the Epstein files. In February, Carr called for broadcasters to air 'patriotic, pro-America content' to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary.
