'Authoritarian playbook': US regulator threatens broadcasters after Trump complains about coverage of war on Iran

The administration of President Donald Trump has warned that news outlets could have their broadcasting licences revoked over critical reporting on the war on Iran, in a move swiftly condemned as "straight out of the authoritarian playbook."

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said in a social media post on Saturday that broadcasters must "operate in the public interest" or else lose their licences, explicitly linking the threat to coverage of the aggression.

"Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions, also known as the fake news, have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up," Carr wrote on X.

"The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not," he warned.

The statement came in direct response to a social media post from Trump, who accused the "fake news media" of reporting that US refuelling planes had been struck in an Iranian attack in Saudi Arabia.

"The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife 'Papers' and Media actually want us to lose the War," he wrote. "Their terrible reporting is the exact opposite of the actual facts!"

Critics decry censorship

Carr's warning drew immediate condemnation from Democratic politicians and free-speech advocates, who likened his remarks to authoritarian censorship.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was among the first to respond, calling the threat "straight out of the authoritarian playbook."

Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii likewise condemned the move, writing: "This is a clear directive to provide positive war coverage or else licenses may not be renewed. This is worse than the comedian stuff, and by a lot. The stakes here are much higher. He's not talking about late night shows, he's talking about how a war is covered."

Aaron Terr, director of public advocacy at the Foundation of Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), denounced Carr for seeking to silence negative war coverage.

"The First Amendment doesn't allow the government to censor information about the war it's waging," Terr said.

The warning was the latest in a series of apparent threats from Carr, who has repeatedly attracted scrutiny for statements appearing to pressure broadcasters to conform with Trump's priorities.

Last year, Carr called on ABC and its distributors to "find ways to change conduct, to take action" against comedian Jimmy Kimmel, whose late-night show had been critical of the president.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr said on a podcast.

ABC temporarily suspended Kimmel's show in the aftermath.

War unpopular at home

The war of aggression, launched by the US and Israel on February 28, entered its third week on Saturday amid mounting evidence of public opposition.

A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 53 percent of voters oppose the war on Iran, including 89 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of independents.

Legal experts have also condemned the war as a clear violation of international law, which prohibits unprovoked attacks.

But the administration has increasingly blamed news outlets for turning public opinion against the war.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host, called for "patriotic" reporters to write more optimistic headlines during a briefing on Friday.

Denouncing TV banners that read, for example, "Mideast war intensifies," Hegseth asked: "What should the banner read instead? How about 'Iran increasingly desperate'? Because they are. They know it, and so do you, if it can be admitted."

Iranian forces have carried out over fifty waves of retaliation against U.S. assets in West Asia and also the Israeli-occupied territories, with officials vowing the country is determined to teach the US an “unforgettable lesson” in the illegal war of aggression.

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