California Gov. Gavin Newsom called FCC Chair Brendan Carr's media threat "sick." Carr had issued a warning on social media calling on broadcast networks to "correct course" in reporting regarding the war in Iran.

Carr's social media post was in response to President Trump's criticism of war coverage. In his Saturday post to X, Carr wrote, "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."

Reacting to Carr's post, Newsom said, "He should be revoked. This is — I literally just read that right before I got here. I didn't believe it." He added, "They had to literally get me the article, and I said, I need another article. Because that stuff, that doesn't happen, that cannot happen in the United States of America."

Newsom said, "We’ve already seen this guy and what he’s said and how he’s pointed. We saw, look, you saw Pete Hegseth say he’s looking forward to consolidation of the media that will be, by definition, as he claims, more favorable to their way of life." Newsom said it was "code red." Newsom also said that Trump wanted to wreck the country.

Newsom referred to President Donald Trump as "Dear Leader." Newsom said, "Now, in the middle of a war, now we’re talking about propaganda that suits the ‘Dear Leader'? Because they don’t like independent media? So we have to have state media and content that’s driven by state media that comports to their perspective of truth?"

Asked if Democrats should take a similar approach with conservative outlets when appointing the next FCC chair, Newsom answered "No." Newsom said, "I want independent thinkers that hold people to account. I want people to appropriate the rules and regulations as they're drafted in the—you know, with the constitutional constraints and constructs, but also the laws that Congress has enacted, and you enforce those at the executive level with truth and objectivity."

Newsom said, "And you know, none of that is on display right now. It's all subjectivity. It’s all about kissing the ring. It’s all about crony capitalism."

In response to Newsom's comments, White House spokesman Kush Desai said, "President Trump has the First Amendment right to call out the mainstream media for being Fake News, which is an opinion shared by the majority of the American people. Gavin Newsom similarly has the First Amendment right to spew nonsense instead of doing something as governor about the runaway taxes, cost of living, and regulations that are driving millions of people and businesses out of California."

Trump took questions from reporters during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office on St. Patrick's Day, Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Carr attended a meeting at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 18, 2026.