Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has apparently found his preferred answer to polling that shows deep public disapproval of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Rather than reckon with the numbers, Carr is warning broadcasters about airing them.

In a social media post Tuesday, Carr complained about “a significant surge in entirely Fake Polls and Suppression Polls,” which he claimed are designed to “do nothing more than interfere with the regular functioning of the electoral process and alter the normal patterns of voter turnout and enthusiasm.”

Carr then aimed his warning directly at broadcasters, invoking their regulatory obligations while suggesting that airing certain polls could amount to distortion or a hoax. His message carried the unmistakable weight of the federal agency he leads.

“Broadcasters are advised to avoid engaging in News Distortions or running Broadcast Hoaxes by airing Polls that would violate their regulatory obligations,” he threatened.

The timing was especially awkward for Republicans. On the same day Carr issued his warning, several polls were released showing an even darker political picture for Trump and the GOP.

The final New York Times and Siena University poll before the election found Democrats holding an 11 point advantage on the congressional ballot. It also placed Trump’s approval at a new low of just 36%.

CNN released similarly brutal results for Republicans. Its poll showed Democrats with a 10 point advantage while Trump’s approval fell to a record low of 32%.

A poll from Strength In Numbers and Verasight reinforced that pattern. It showed Democrats leading by 11 points and Trump with a 34% approval rating.

The grim polling was not limited to the national congressional picture or Trump’s standing. A Marist poll of Michigan’s Senate contest between Democrat Abdul El-Sayed and Republican Mike Rogers also contained bad news for the GOP.

That survey showed El-Sayed leading Rogers by 2 points. The result came even after Vice President JD Vance campaigned for Rogers last week.

Anna Gomez, the only remaining FCC commissioner appointed by a Democrat, said Carr’s threat rests on shaky legal ground. Carr had invoked FCC rules concerning news distortion, but Gomez explained that those rules do not cover outlets reporting polling data in good faith.

“Pollsters who intentionally mislead the public should answer for it, but broadcasters who report publicly available polling data should never be punished when a poll is wrong,” Gomez wrote.

Carr did not specifically explain how broadcasters should handle reporting about Trump’s own polling claims. Trump has spent more than a decade citing nonexistent or misleading polls while insisting that he and other Republicans are popular and headed for victory.

Since Trump installed him, Carr has used the FCC to threaten and intimidate media outlets, pushing them to shape their programming around Republican messages and priorities. The pressure campaign has extended beyond news coverage.

Carr has also used the agency to censor talk shows and ban comedians such as Jimmy Kimmel who disagree with Trump or mock him. His latest warning puts polling coverage into the same broader campaign against media content that displeases the president and his allies.

News organizations are highly unlikely to stop reporting polling simply to satisfy Trump and Carr. Yet the warning makes the administration’s posture plain: When the public numbers become politically painful, Trump’s FCC crony would rather menace the messengers than face the message.