President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks against the media on Sunday with an admonition to the Federal Communications Commission to investigate polling used by news outlets and punish a prominent television news host.
Trump has long had an adversarial relationship with journalists and news organizations who publish stories he doesn’t like, particularly those about his standing in the polls. Numerous recent polls show Trump has the lowest approval rating of either of his terms in office as the unpopular Iran war continues and gas prices remain high.
Trump has increasingly used his animosity toward the press to seek action by the FCC, which controls broadcast licensing.
The First Amendment to the US Constitution explicitly protects freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
Trump complained Sunday that something must be done about “fake polls” used by the news media. “FCC TO THE RESCUE!” he trumpeted in a social media post. Polls are often sponsored by television networks or news organizations, but conducted by universities or polling companies over which the FCC has no control. The FCC also has no control over cable stations or print media.
