The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, Brendan Carr, is facing pushback from a Republican lawmaker after warning on Saturday that broadcasters could lose their licenses if they run what the federal agency deems “fake news” over the Iran conflict.

Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin said in an interview on the Sunday Briefing on Fox News that he was not in favor of the government control of private enterprise or efforts to meddle with freedom of speech protected under the constitution.

“I’m in big support of the first amendment,” Johnson said. “I do not like the heavy hand of government, no matter who’s wielding it. So no, I would rather the federal government stay out of the private sector as much as possible.

“The federal government’s role is to protect our freedoms, protect our constitutional rights,” he added.

Carr, a Trump appointee to the FCC, is facing pushback against comments made Saturday in which he said licenses held by broadcasters could be revoked.

“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,” Carr wrote on X. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”

Democrats criticized Carr’s warning-shot. Senator Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, said: “It’s illegal for the government to censor free speech it just doesn’t like about Trump’s Iran war. This threat is straight out of the authoritarian playbook.”

Senator Chris Murphy, of Connecticut, concurred. “A truly extraordinary moment,” he wrote on social media. “We aren’t on the verge of a totalitarian takeover. WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. Act like it.” The California governor, Gavin Newsom, said it was “flagrantly unconstitutional”.

Carr later doubled down on that threat in an interview with CBS News.

“People have gotten used to the idea that, you know, licenses are some sort of property right, and there’s nothing you can do that can result in losing their license,” Carr said. “I try to sort of help reorient people that, no, there is a public interest, and broadcast is different.

“All broadcasters should, you know, feel entirely free to do all of their reporting,” Carr added, as long as they’re not engaging in “news distortion”.

The FCC has lost power in recent years as “over-the-air” broadcasting by national local TV has lost ground to cable, satellite and online distribution systems which it has little or no sway over. But it holds power to regulate media acquisitions and mergers, including the recent deal between Paramount Skydance, owner of CBS News, and Warner Bros. Discovery, owner of CNN.

Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic commission member, said the FCC “can issue threats all day long, but it is powerless to carry them out”. Gomez warned in a post that “such threats violate the First Amendment and will go nowhere”.

“Broadcasters should continue covering the news, fiercely and independently, without fear of government pressure,” she added.