FCC Chairman Threatens Broadcasters Over Iran War Coverage

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr issued a stark warning to local broadcasters Saturday, threatening to pull licenses from stations he says are presenting "fake" news about the war with Iran.

Carr made the post on social media while visiting President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, according to CNN. The post included comments from the President, who has repeatedly criticized news media for their reporting on the conflict. Carr's message was direct: broadcasters must operate in the public interest, or risk losing their licenses.

The threat drew immediate condemnation from free speech advocates and First Amendment scholars. On Sunday, FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the agency's lone Democrat, fired back, saying "the FCC can issue threats all day long, but it is powerless to carry them out." Gomez said threats of this kind violate the First Amendment and will "go nowhere."