FCC Chair Carr Warns Licensed Broadcasters That Airing "Fake Polls" Could Violate News-Distortion and Hoax Rules, Without Naming Any Poll

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr warned FCC-licensed stations on Wednesday in an X post that the election season had brought “a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls,” CNN reports, adding: “Broadcasters are advised to avoid engaging in News Distortions or running Broadcast Hoaxes by airing Polls that would violate their regulatory obligations.” His X post didn’t say which polls he meant, and he did not respond to CNN. The warning came the same day two national polls showed Trump at another record-low approval rating, and one day after a self-described polling firm admitted being a “fictional entity” that fabricated data.

Commissioner Anna Gomez said “FCC rules on news distortion or hoaxes do not apply to a station that reports this data in good faith,” and a group of former FCC officials called the message “part of an accelerating White House strategy to tilt the electoral playing field in the President’s favor.” CNN notes the news-distortion and hoax policies are narrowly tailored and rarely enforced. Related: 2026-09-09–kimmel-moves-talarico-interview-to-youtube-citing-fcc-threats).