President-elect Donald Trump has officially appointed Brendan Carr, the leading Republican member of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), to serve as the agency’s new chairman. This announcement was made on Sunday from West Palm Beach, Florida, marking a significant step in shaping the future of U.S. broadcasting, telecommunications, and broadband regulation.
Brendan Carr, a seasoned member of the FCC, previously held the position of general counsel within the agency. He has garnered bipartisan support, having been confirmed by the Senate on three separate occasions and nominated by both Trump and President Joe Biden during his tenure.
The FCC operates as an independent agency under congressional oversight, but Trump has expressed intentions to exert greater control over it. He has indicated a desire to utilize the agency to address perceived grievances with television networks that have reported unfavorably about him.
In recent months, Carr has aligned himself with Trump’s perspectives on social media and technology regulation. He contributed to “Project 2025,” a comprehensive plan developed by the conservative Heritage Foundation aimed at restructuring the federal workforce and reducing the size of federal agencies in the event of a second Trump administration.
Despite Trump’s claims of unfamiliarity with Project 2025, many of its core themes resonate with his public statements. Following Trump’s electoral victory, Carr issued a statement emphasizing the FCC’s critical role in regulating Big Tech, ensuring broadcasters act in the public interest, and fostering economic growth.
Trump praised Carr in a statement, describing him as a “warrior for Free Speech” who has fought against regulatory practices that he claims have hindered American freedoms and economic progress. The former president expressed confidence that Carr would mitigate what he referred to as a “regulatory onslaught” that has negatively impacted job creators and innovators, particularly in rural America.
Currently, the FCC consists of five members, with a Democratic majority of 3-2 that will remain until next year, when Trump will have the opportunity to appoint a new member.
Carr has also made media appearances, including critiques of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” arguing that the show did not provide Trump with equal airtime.
An active commentator, Carr recently penned an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, criticizing the FCC’s decision to revoke a federal award for Elon Musk’s satellite service, Starlink. He argued that the decision lacked justification based on factual or legal grounds and characterized it as an example of regulatory overreach targeting Musk, a prominent figure in the tech industry.
This appointment signals a potential shift in the FCC’s direction under Carr’s leadership as the agency navigates the complex landscape of media and technology regulation in the coming years.
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