Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr says the agency could soon issue guidance to broadcasters over what he calls "fake polls" ahead of November's midterms. Speaking on Fox News' "The Sunday Briefing," Carr said President Donald Trump is "over the target" and the FCC is "looking at a lot of actions."

Carr's comments highlight a key distinction: broadcast television uses FCC-licensed public airwaves, unlike cable or online platforms. That means broadcasters must "operate in the public interest, not some sort of narrow partisan interest," he said.

There's "a lot of interest right now in fake polls," Carr noted, and the FCC "may put guidance out soon" reminding stations of their obligations, especially if polling is used "to suppress people heading into the fall." Fox News reported the remarks Monday.

This isn't happening in a vacuum. Trump has been escalating his pressure on broadcasters, most recently targeting NBC News' Kristen Welker after she described his primary endorsements as producing "mixed results." Trump called that a "purposeful inaccuracy" and said Welker would be reported to the FCC "for rebuke or punishment." NBC has defended Welker.

The FCC has already taken steps that critics see as politically motivated. This year, it ordered early license reviews for eight ABC-owned stations, prompting Disney to sue, alleging political retaliation. Reuters reported that the FCC asked a federal court last week to dismiss that lawsuit.

But here's the thing: the FCC's own rules say it generally doesn't step in just because broadcast journalism is inaccurate or one-sided. Its news-distortion policy requires documented evidence that a licensee or its management intentionally falsified news. That reflects First Amendment limits on government interference with editorial judgment.

Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez pushed back hard against Trump's threat to Welker, writing on X that the "FCC has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn't like." She added, "These threats to press freedom are dangerous. They undermine the foundation of our democracy, and they have no place in it."

Carr, for his part, defends tougher scrutiny of broadcasters, arguing their licenses carry public-interest obligations. Whether that argument holds up in court or in the court of public opinion remains to be seen.