Trump's FCC Chair Demands Patriotic Press Coverage Like Iran's State TV

Over the weekend, Donald Trump fumed on Truth Social about newspapers covering attacks on US tanker aircrafts in Saudi Arabia. Within hours, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr reposted Trump's rant and vowed to revoke the licenses of broadcasters who air what he called "fake news". For some extra brownie points, Carr tossed in a line about Trump's "landslide election victory", too.

Early on Monday, Trump completed the sycophantic cycle with a second post announcing that he's "thrilled" by Carr's threats and accusing unnamed media outlets of "treason" and a lack of patriotism for reporting on AI fakes linked to Iran. (It's not clear what Trump was referring to, since the media has regularly reported on those fakes to debunk them.)

If Carr and the president's attacks on the press aren't stopped, the outcome could be dire. The FCC chair's rhetoric mirrors the tactics used by Iran's state-controlled media, which routinely censors and silences critical coverage in the name of "national security" and "patriotism". Carr's actions set a dangerous precedent that could pave the way for the US media to be transformed into a propaganda arm of the government, just like in Iran.

The US Constitution enshrines press freedom as a fundamental right, and the First Amendment explicitly prohibits the government from abridging that freedom. But Trump and Carr seem intent on chipping away at these protections, using the pretext of "fake news" and "treason" to strong-arm the media into submission. If they succeed, the consequences for American democracy could be catastrophic.

Journalists play a crucial role in holding the powerful to account and informing the public. By threatening to revoke broadcast licenses, Carr is effectively trying to censor and silence critical reporting - a tactic straight out of the authoritarian playbook. The American people deserve a free and independent press, not a state-controlled media that serves as a mouthpiece for the government.

It's time for policymakers, civil society, and the public to stand up and defend the First Amendment against these blatant attacks on press freedom. The future of American democracy may very well depend on it.