FCC chairman shoots down Trump's threats to revoke NBC's license

Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, rejected President Trump's claim that the FCC could shut down a network that broadcasts "fake news."

"Under the law, the FCC does not have the authority to revoke a license of a broadcast station based on the content," Pai said at an AT&T forum Tuesday. "The FCC under my leadership will stand for the First Amendment."

Trump tweeted criticism of NBC on Wednesday, after the network reported that he had called for a tenfold increase of the nation's nuclear stockpile and that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had called Trump a "moron." Reuters reports that Democrats had been pressuring Pai to make a statement against Trump's threats.

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Pai's silence drew criticism, but at Tuesday's event, he opposed the president's suggestion in no uncertain terms. Pai, who was appointed by Trump, was sure to point out that it's "not within the FCC's jurisdiction to handle fake news."

Politico notes that Pai did not mention Trump by name, focusing his response on his role as chairman, rather than specifically denouncing the president's Twitter tirade.