Trump Appoints Brendan Carr to Spearhead FCC

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump designated Brendan Carr, the senior Republican at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as the agency’s new chairman on Sunday. Carr, a long-serving commission member and former general counsel, brings extensive regulatory experience to this position.

With three unanimous Senate confirmations under his belt, Carr’s nominations came from both Trump and President Joe Biden, highlighting his bipartisan appeal. The FCC, which regulates broadcasting and telecommunications, operates as an independent agency but has recently been the focus of Trump’s aim to tighten White House oversight, particularly regarding media that has been unfavorable to him.

Carr has recently aligned with Trump’s views on technology and social media. Notably, he contributed to “Project 2025,” a controversial plan created by the Heritage Foundation that suggests significant federal workforce reductions and agency dismantling in a potential second Trump term. While Trump claims ignorance of the project, its themes resonate with his rhetoric.

In a statement praising Trump’s triumph, Carr emphasized the FCC’s crucial role in regulating Big Tech and ensuring that broadcasters serve the public interest, all while fostering economic growth. Trump echoed these sentiments, calling Carr a “warrior for Free Speech” and promising that he would curb regulatory burdens impacting job creators and innovators.

The FCC currently holds a Democratic majority of 3-2, which will shift when Trump nominates a replacement member next year. Recently, Carr has appeared on Fox News, where he criticized media coverage, including a segment about Vice President Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live,” accusing the network of failing to provide equal airtime to Trump.

In addition to his media presence, Carr is a rigorous commentator, penning op-eds such as his recent piece in The Wall Street Journal. He criticized the FCC’s decision to revoke a federal award for Elon Musk’s satellite service, Starlink, claiming it lacked justification based on objective measurements of facts or policy.

“This can only be seen as regulatory lawfare against a prominent target of the left,” Carr argued, underscoring his contentious stance within ongoing debates about regulation and technology.