Trump Calls on FCC to Punish News Orgs That Publish His Bad Polling Numbers

In Truth Social posts on Sunday, President Donald Trump threatened to use the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to target broadcasters and journalists whose reporting on him he dislikes.

In one of his posts, Trump suggested that news agencies should face repercussions for publishing polling data showing that he has a low approval rating.

“THE FAKE POLLS USED BY OUR CROOKED MEDIA ARE OUT OF CONTROL, AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT IT,” Trump wrote. “FCC TO THE RESCUE!”

Trump’s post made no references to “real” polls he thinks accurately portray his current approval ratings. An average of polling data compiled by RealClearPollingshows that, as of Sunday evening, Trump averages near 39.9 percent approval, while 56.7 percent of the U.S. public disapproves of him. Other surveys have demonstrated a consistently lower mark, with showing his approval rating at just 36 percent, a CNN/SSRS poll from late last month demonstrating 34 percent approval, and a Reuters/Ipsos poll from last week finding just 33 percent approval.

Trump has repeatedly disputed his low polling numbers without offering evidence to support his claims. On August 8, for example, Trump merely posted that he had “great poll numbers,” but didn’t provide a link or the name of any poll.

In another post, Trump directly attacked Kristen Welker, host of NBC News’s “Meet the Press” program, after she correctly pointed out that Trump’s record on selecting Republican primary candidates was “mixed.” While Trump’s picks were mostly winners, at least six candidates he endorsed lost in their races this election season.

“Kristen Welker, the Unpopular “Hostess” of the once great Meet the Press, now considered Meet the Fake Press, just stated that Donald Trump has ‘mixed results’ on his Endorsements of Candidates. … How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves?” Trump wrote on Truth Social in response to Welker’s comments on a local Washington, D.C. station.

“Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” he added.

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The FCC has limited power to regulate — or “punish,” as Trump puts it — the kind of reporting he railed against in his Sunday posts. However, FCC chair Brendan Carr has repeatedly attacked media companies after Trump has complained about them.

In March, for example, Carr threatened to retaliate against broadcasters who promote supposed “hoaxes and news distortions” on the Iran war, shortly after Trump issued a similar rant on Truth Social. In April, Carr demanded a review of all local ABC station licenses following Trump’s complaints about jokes being made at his expense by late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

Anna Gomez, the lone Democratic-appointed member of the FCC, blasted Trump’s demands in a post on X on Sunday.

“The FCC has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like. These threats to press freedom are dangerous,” Gomez said. “They undermine the foundation of our democracy, and they have no place in it.”

Other commentators have also weighed in on Trump’s posts.

“[Trump] makes clear that he thinks it’s the government’s role to go after journalists who anger him,” New York Times chief White House correspondent Peter Baker noted.

“Trump’s response is striking: rather than simply dispute Welker’s characterization, he is calling for a federal regulator to investigate and potentially punish a journalist over unfavorable political commentary,” Meidas News contributor J.D. Wolf said.

“Trump invoked Carr’s name, complimented the ‘fine people’ of the FCC, and said he hopes the commission will ‘take this Threat to our Country very seriously.’ ABC is already in court fighting the FCC’s unprecedented actions; it’s reasonable to think NBC will be targeted next,” CNN media analyst Brian Stelter said.

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