Trump and his FCC chair are barking at the press. Even without a bite, the threat matters.

FCC chair Brendan Carr is threatening broadcasters over Iran war coverage, though experts say revoking licenses would be legally difficult

Robust press coverage is a cornerstone of our democracy. It’s one of the principles that sets the U.S. and other free countries apart from countries run by authoritarians. The press being able to hold the powerful to account separates the U.S. from places like Russia and China and Saudi Arabia.

But these days, right here in these United States, what happens when the press accurately and aggressively covers what is increasingly becoming a very unpopular war? Journalists are threatened.

President Donald Trump has spent the past 10 years chipping away at the media — from sowing mistrust through his constant name-calling to suing networks over coverage he doesn’t like to outright kicking the press out of press conferences for even the silliest reasons, such as what to call the Gulf of Mexico.