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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), appointing a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s telecom policies and big tech to oversee the regulation of television, internet services, and radio in the United States.
Who is the FCC’s new chair, Brendan Carr?
Carr, a veteran member of the FCC and former general counsel of the body, has been unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times. The 45-year-old has previously been nominated to the commission by both President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.
Although the FCC operates as an independent agency under congressional oversight, Trump has indicated a desire to bring it under closer White House control, partly to use the agency against TV networks that provide coverage he deems unfavorable.
Thank you, President Trump!
I am humbled and honored to serve as Chairman of the FCC.
Now we get to work. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MPyL2d38kT
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 18, 2024
Trump said in a statement: “Commissioner Carr is a warrior for Free Speech, and has fought against the regulatory Lawfare that has stifled Americans’ Freedoms, and held back our Economy.
“He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America’s Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America.”
On X, Carr wrote: “We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.”
We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 18, 2024
Carr’s contribution to Project 2025
Described by Axios as “the FCC’s 5G crusader,” Carr is said to have contributed to the section on the FCC in “Project 2025,” a comprehensive plan developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation. The blueprint outlines strategies for downsizing the federal workforce and restructuring federal agencies in anticipation of a second Trump administration.
He has been an outspoken critic of the FCC’s decision to withhold nearly $900 million in broadband subsidies for Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service, Starlink. In December 2023, ReadWrite reported that Space X finally received the green light from the FCC to conduct experimental tests for a new service. However, by October of this year, a group of 100 space researchers asked for the agency to pause new satellite launches to allow for environmental review.
Carr has also sharply criticized the Commerce Department’s $42 billion broadband infrastructure program and President Joe Biden’s spectrum policy.
Last week, Carr addressed a letter to Meta’s Facebook, Alphabet’s Google, Apple, and Microsoft, accusing them of taking actions to censor Americans. On Sunday (Nov. 17), he stressed that the FCC must work to “restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.”
Featured image: Canva / Gage Skidmore
