FCC Chairman Brendan Carr addresses Trump's calls for journalist punishment

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated that the agency is “looking at a lot of actions” following President Trump’s demand for the “rebuke or punishment” of NBC journalist Kristen Welker. The president alleged that Welker’s reporting regarding his “mixed record” of election endorsements contained “purposeful inaccuracy.”

In an interview on Fox News, Carr noted that while the president is “over the target,” the FCC may issue guidance to broadcasters regarding their obligations to the public interest. He specifically mentioned interest in addressing “fake polls” that could potentially suppress voters. Carr emphasized that broadcast television differs from cable because broadcasters receive taxpayer-subsidized distribution in exchange for operating in the public interest rather than serving narrow partisan interests.