FCC Chair Brendan Carr Warns Broadcasters Over Political Polling Ahead of Midterms
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has issued a warning to broadcasters regarding their coverage of political polling, suggesting the agency could punish media outlets for sharing polling results that the administration considers deceptive. The warning comes less than two weeks before the November midterm election and intensifies long-running concerns that Carr is improperly pressuring media companies over coverage opposed by President Donald Trump.
Writing on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Carr argued that the election season has seen a surge in fake and suppression polls designed to interfere with the electoral process and alter voter turnout. Broadcasters were advised to avoid news distortions or broadcast hoaxes by airing polls that would violate their regulatory obligations.
While Carr did not offer specific examples of fake polling, and FCC spokespeople did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding what specific polls he meant, his comments echo frequent attacks by Trump against polling numbers showing low support. Carr first floated the idea of issuing guidance on broadcasters’ obligations to accurately cover poll results in early September, though no formal documents have been published by the agency.
The agency does not traditionally police polling results. However, Carr has maintained that such oversight could fall under existing rules prohibiting broadcast news distortion or the publication of hoaxes. Critics argue that Carr is weaponizing the FCC by misusing arcane media rules to appease the administration. Carr’s alignment with the president has also drawn scrutiny; he recently appeared alongside Trump at a campaign rally in Alaska, stating that he did so in his personal capacity.
The warning drew immediate pushback from Anna Gomez, the FCC’s lone Democratic commissioner. While acknowledging that pollsters who intentionally mislead the public should answer for their actions, Gomez argued that broadcasters reporting publicly available polling data should never face punishment simply because a poll is inaccurate. She stated that FCC rules on news distortion and hoaxes do not apply to stations reporting such data in good faith.
Wednesday’s statements follow a series of recent clashes between Carr and the broadcasting industry. Comments made by Carr on a conservative podcast last September preceded the suspension of late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel, and the FCC is currently involved in a legal battle with Disney concerning the agency’s early review of its ABC network licenses.
In his post, Carr suggested that broadcasters wishing to avoid issues with the agency might want to supplement their past polling coverage with additional information and context, noting that they could take such actions consistent with existing regulations.
