Trump’s FCC Chair Threatens to Pull Broadcast Licenses Over Negative Iran War Coverage

https://www.commondreams.org/news/fcc-chair-carr-threatens

44 Comments

  1. Embarrassed-Pride776 on

    When the Republicans are removed from power we need to start holding trials immediately. We can’t let them not face judgement.

  2. Content_Statement356 on

    “Free press” doesn’t work if the government decides which coverage keeps your license.

  3. socialistForDE on

    And the fact that all the media is owned by like 2 or 3 pro trump billionaire pedophiles mean they won’t fight it

  4. Choice-of-SteinsGate on

    The FCC under the Trump administration is no longer an independent agency and marches to the beat of Trump’s drum.

    Trump has appointed loyalists into director positions within agencies like the FCC where they carry out his authoritarian whims against his critics in the media; applying regulatory pressures on companies to silence those who criticize him and/or his policies, or tell jokes at his expense because he’s an insecure narcissist.

    It shouldn’t have to be said, but if you have any principles at all, you don’t submit to the demands of a wanna-be dictator hell bent on tightening the government’s grip on the media—no matter the cost.

    Because as a consequence of surrendering to Trump’s unconstitutional attacks against the media, he emerges feeling more empowered than ever as his administration continues its aggressive campaign against free speech and the free press.

    Trump appointed Brendan Carr to head the FCC. Carr authored a chapter in Project 2025’s “Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise,” which outlined FCC policies for a future Trump administration.

    Carr previously served as the agency’s general counsel and as an aide to FCC commissioner Ajit Pai, you know, the guy who wanted to repeal net neutrality rules.

    Unsurprisingly, Carr also opposes net neutrality protections.

    He publicly accused social media platforms of being biased against the Trump reelection campaign.

    He has also made baseless accusations towards Trump’s political opponents and representatives like Adam Schiff, someone who Trump has a personal vendetta against.

    In other words, Trump’s decision to appoint Carr as FCC director is just another example of the many conflicts of interest that plague this administration.

    One of the most successful and central aims of the Trump administration, as outlined in Project 2025 of course, is the establishment of a unitary executive beholden to no one. Basically an effort to turn the presidency into a dictatorship.

    This has involved giving the president unilateral authority over just about anything; including his unbridled use of executive orders to enact authoritarian policies; a large percentage of which have been deemed or challenged as unconstitutional.

    It involves giving Trump unrestricted powers over Congress and the judiciary; allowing him to flout checks and balances, defy court orders and abuse impoundment procedures to take control of the government’s purse.

    Despite Trump’s claim that this is the “most transparent administration in history,” that same administration is orchestrating cover ups of massive scandals, eliminating practically all areas of independent oversight, and stacking the government with loyalists, billionaires and rich, corporate interests.

    So even though Trump says that hiring should be based solely on “merit,” his administration runs on rampant cronyism, corruption and favoritism.

    Trump has abused his powers to make independent agencies subordinate to him. He’s turned the DOJ into his own personal legal arm, which he’s weaponizing against his political opponents, his critics, and anyone who has tried to hold him accountable in the past.

    Trump has used the FCC to apply regulatory pressures on media organizations that don’t provide him with constant positive publicity. He’s putting economic advisors on the Fed board who align with him on reckless monetary policy. He’s firing heads of agencies and institutions without cause and replacing them with kowtowing loyalists who will suppress or manipulate information and advance his policy goals.

    His administration is also stripping civil servants of their protections in order to replace knowledgeable and qualified staff with incompetent lackeys whose only qualifications are that they pledge their undying fealty to Trump. Carr is no different.

  5. The U.S. is the western version of Russia. Terrorizing other countries. Censoring the news to make the leader look better, and spreading propaganda to further their agenda, and terrorizing our own people. We are no better than Russia at this point.

  6. TheorySudden5996 on

    Hope Mother Nature takes care of Trump before he can blanket pardon, although JD would probably do it anyway.

  7. Cool, then we can just shut off Fox News, Sinclair, right wing radio, etc. when we get back in power.

  8. No President in the last 40 years was stupid enough to let Israel talk them into starting a war with Iran. Military leaders have constantly advised not to do this because the cost is just not worth it.

    Only a fat pedophile poopy pants loser covered in makeup who wants to show the world how tough he is actually fell for it. Now he is upset that everyone is pointing at him and laughing.

    This is what happens when you fire all the Iran experts as well as military leaders who don’t kiss your ass and replace them with Kegsbreath.

  9. And negative according to him is reporting the truth of what’s happening without favor.

  10. Why do all these people hate what America was built on and stands for? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills. How could any American say anything like that, ever? WTAF?

  11. TheSilentPrince on

    Oh yeah, that sounds like freedom. “Toe the line, and parrot our government ordered propaganda, or we’ll shut you down.” 

    Look at this tool, saying the media has “earned” the label of “fake news”, when the only ones *remotely* in that ballpark are the ones actively supporting your dementia-addled demagogue. 

  12. Long-Region5088 on

    Where are all those republicans worried about government censorship during the Obama and Biden years?

  13. Majestic_Bet_1428 on

    Reuters is a reliable source

    Reuters employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations, producing content in 16 languages on topics from politics to finance.

  14. redditobserverone on

    No unflattering photos of the War Dept. No unflattering news about the war. This is now the party of Jeb Bush: please applaud.

  15. In all honesty and as someone who isn’t American, America can only heal if these people are brought to justice in the next administration. When the next democrat president comes in, if he bends to “unity, and focusing on the future”, you’re toast.

  16. First_Explanation163 on

    Do it. Set the precedence so after a blue wave we can imprison all of fox news.

  17. VooDooChile1983 on

    They said a woman would be too emotional for the presidency but everything is burning down because “They’re saying bad things about us and I don’t like it.”

  18. First Amendment
    “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
    peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

    Flabbergasted and very worried Canadian here. I wake up every day thinking there has to be a peak to this madness-but the mountain just keeps getting higher!

    Anyhow – while I know the basics of your Constitution – could someone please explain how the last line of the 1st Amendment is interpreted into today’s law in the USA? How does one “petition the Govt?

    Thx so much. (Can’t wait to hear Colbert’s and Kimmel’s monologues on Monday.)

  19. Crazy that conservatives agree that the government should ignore the freedom of press.What they want is not much different than North Korea.

  20. We need a ton of constitutional amendments as well. There are way too many holes in this boat.

  21. polishedcooter on

    > In a move one administration critic described as “fragrantly unconstitutional,”

    I for one don’t like the smell of my country’s core principles being violated

  22. Sweaty-taxman on

    If any news stations lose their press license over reporting negative coverage, that’s a ridiculous constitutional infringement.

    That should be all it takes for a revolution.

  23. LoudSignificance2307 on

    Fascist do what fascist do, looking forward to seeing him in prison one day..

  24. solarguy2003 on

    Ummm, no. The Constitution of the United States of America not only says no, it says FUCK NO and FUCK YOU for even trying.