WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, appearing Sunday on a FOX News Channel political news analysis program, said the agency is considering the issuance of a Public Notice reminding broadcast media licensees of their obligations regarding “fake polls,” in particular those Brendan Carr believes are intended to suppress voters ahead of the November midterm elections.
In conversation with Peter Doocy on “The Sunday Briefing,” Carr addressed a question from the commentator and White House reporter that referenced the August 30 episode of NBC’s Meet the Press. The Commander-in-Chief of the United States watched the program, and was displeased with a statement from the moderator of a discussion stating that his record on endorsements was mixed. “He said he was going to report Kristen Welker to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” Doocy said to Carr, shown on camera nodding affirmatively to Doocy’s statement. In truth, Trump has a 96% winning record with respect to his political endorsements tied to the 2026 Republican primary elections. On Truth Social, Trump blasted Welke for her inaccurate Meet the Press teaser airing on WRC-4 in Washington.
Addressing Carr, Doocy asked, “You are the FCC. Have you received this report?”
Carr replied, “One thing that President Trump gets fundamentally is that broadcast TV is completely different than other forms of distribution including cable. And so many broadcasters right now, they want to break the deal that they cut with the American people. They get billions of dollars in taxpayer effectively subsidized distribution and what they’re supposed to do in exchange is operate in the public interest, not some sort of narrow partisan interest.”
He continued by saying that he thinks President Trump “is over the target and we’re looking at a lot of actions.”
For instance, Carr revealed, “There’s a lot of interest right now in ‘Fake Polls’ that are out there.” As such, he said the Commission “may put guidance out soon to remind broadcasters about their obligations with respect to not airing fake polls — particularly if they’re done to suppress people heading into the fall.”
While Nexstar Media Group-owned publication The Hill did not explain Carr’s comments regarding “fake polls” in its coverage of Sunday’s interview with Doocy, nor did HuffPost, who referred to Carr as “the Trump ally,” Policyband editor Ted Hearn believes he knows what Carr was referring to.
“Carr may have been referring to Median Strategies, a now‑defunct firm that released a widely reported bogus poll claiming Wisconsin Democrat Francesca Hong was leading her gubernatorial primary by 20 points just two days before the election,” Hearn explained.
Hong was narrowly defeated by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in the primary race.
Concluding the conversation, Doocy noted Carr “has a lot going on.” Carr’s reply? “It’s a lot of fun.”
On Tuesday, Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gómez chimed in via social media platform X, noting, “News coverage of a poll that doesn’t favor a political party is not a license to meddle in an election through intimidation. Broadcasters should take note. Do not let a sad and desperate attempt to punish accurate reporting become an excuse for censorship.
News coverage of a poll that doesn’t favor a political party is not a license to meddle in an election through intimidation.
Broadcasters should take note. Do not let a sad and desperate attempt to punish accurate reporting become an excuse for censorship.
— Anna M. Gomez (@AGomezFCC) September 8, 2026
“Polls can be wrong,” Gómez continued. “That’s no surprise to anyone who has followed politics over the last decade. The FCC faces a very high bar to prove news distortion, and it requires clear evidence of an intentional effort to mislead the public. Without it, this is all political theater.”
