Key facts
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr is unaware of any specific instances of US broadcast networks airing fake polls.
- Carr warned broadcasters to use due diligence before airing polls.
- Wedgewood Polling admitted to faking surveys.
- Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez suggested the push to cast doubt on polls was an attempt by the administration to get TV news operations to censor themselves.
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said on Thursday that broadcast networks should use "due diligence" before airing polls that could have been fabricated, but he did not identify any specific broadcasts that raised concerns. Earlier this month, Carr warned broadcasters they could violate their regulatory obligations by airing "entirely fake polls and suppression polls" ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. President Donald Trump has pressured Carr to crack down on US broadcasters and journalists, calling polls rigged. Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez said the drive to cast doubt on polls was an attempt by the administration to get TV news operations to censor themselves. Carr said he was not seeking to punish broadcasters for airing poll results that are negative for any specific politician, but cited recent cases including that of Wedgewood Polling, which admitted it had faked surveys. Carr said he was unaware of any specific instances of broadcasters airing fake polls and that people should come forward if they had concerns. Gomez suggested it was a "way to spook stations into self-censoring."