Critics Blast Trump FCC Chief for Threats Over Iran War Coverage

Source: Newsweek

Published Mar 14, 2026 at 06:38 PM EDT


Several politicians and media figures have criticized Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr for issuing a statement on Saturday in which he attacked the media over its coverage of the Iran War and threatened to pull licenses if they do not "operate in the public interest."

Carr, in a lengthy post on X, accused broadcasters of "running hoaxes and news distortions" and warned they must "correct course before their license renewals come up." "It is very important to bring trust back into media, which has earned itself the label of fake news," he wrote. "Time for change!"

Why It Matters

Carr's post follows President Donald Trump's criticism of American news media earlier on Saturday, in which he accused news organizations of publishing "intentionally misleading" headlines about the war.

The president has struggled with messaging about the conflict, which has continued for two weeks and appears to have no clear end in sight, even as the president insists the U.S. has "beaten and completely decimated Iran, both militarily, economically, and in every other way."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/critics-donald-trump-fcc-brendan-carr-threats-iran-war-coverage-11678870