FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Warns Broadcasters Against Reporting 'Fake' Polls
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr issued a warning to U.S. broadcasters on Wednesday, cautioning media outlets against airing what he described as "fake polls" and "suppression polls." In a social media post, Carr asserted that certain opinion polls lack a scientific or accurate basis and are designed to interfere with the electoral process and voter enthusiasm.
Carr invoked federal broadcasting rules, noting that station licenses prohibit news distortion and broadcast hoaxes. He suggested that outlets failing to inform the public about the validity of reported polls could face regulatory scrutiny. The warning followed recent public polling from Reuters/Ipsos and The Washington Post–ABC News–Ipsos showing low approval ratings for President Donald Trump.
The FCC chairman's statements drew immediate pushback from fellow commissioners and media experts. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez responded that while misleading pollsters should be held accountable, broadcasters reporting publicly available data in good faith should never be punished. Free-speech advocates, journalists, and legal scholars also criticized the warning, arguing it stretches FCC regulations beyond their legal definitions and introduces content-based restrictions that threaten independent reporting.
