'Stay out': GOP Sen Ron Johnson rebukes FCC Chair Carr over 'heavy-handed' broadcast license threat

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Ron Johnson on Sunday, March 15, criticized remarks from Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr suggesting that broadcasters could lose their licenses over how they cover the conflict in Iran.

Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, said he opposed what he described as heavy-handed government action against media outlets.

Carr’s warning came amid ongoing criticism from President Donald Trump and other administration officials about news reporting on the war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

The dispute has prompted responses from lawmakers across both parties and renewed debate about press freedom and regulatory authority.

Ron Johnson warns against government overreach in media regulation

Appearing on 'The Sunday Briefing' on Fox News, Johnson said that he disagreed with the idea of threatening broadcasters’ licenses in response to their news coverage.

“I am a big supporter of the First Amendment,” Johnson said during the interview. “I do not like the heavy-handed government, no matter who is wielding it. … I would rather the federal government stay out of the private sector as much as possible.”

Johnson added that he believed the federal government’s primary responsibility was to safeguard constitutional rights rather than intervene in private media organizations. 

“The federal government’s role is to protect our freedoms, protect our constitutional rights,” the Wisconsin Republican said.

Carr’s comments drew widespread attention after he suggested that broadcasters could face consequences for airing what he described as inaccurate reporting about the conflict involving Iran. 

The warning came at a time when tensions between the White House and several major media outlets have intensified over coverage of the war, which is in its third week.

Several Democratic leaders also criticized Carr’s remarks. Senator Elizabeth Warren described the warning as “straight out of the authoritarian playbook.”

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said on social media that the idea was “flagrantly unconstitutional.” Senator Mark Kelly also criticized the comments, describing them as an “overreach by the FCC.”

FCC chair’s warning follows Trump criticism of media coverage

Carr issued his warning in a post on X after Trump criticized media reporting on the joint US-Israeli military operation in Iran.

“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.

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

Trump and other senior officials have repeatedly criticized the press over its coverage of the conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that “The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife ‘Papers’ and Media actually want us to lose the War,” adding that their reporting was “the exact opposite of the actual facts.”

The criticism followed reporting by The Wall Street Journal that five US Air Force refueling planes were struck by an Iranian missile at a base in Saudi Arabia.

Trump disputed the report’s framing, saying four of the aircraft had “virtually no damage, and are already back in service,” while one sustained “slightly more damage.”

He added, “None were destroyed, or close to that, as the Fake News said in headlines.”