Donald Trump Picks Brendan Carr to Lead FCC
by Michaela Zee · VarietyPresident-elect Donald Trump has selected Brendan Carr to serve as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.
Carr is the senior Republican on the FCC, having served previously as the telecommunication agency’s general counsel. Trump first nominated Carr to the FCC in 2017.
“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,” Trump said in a statement released on Sunday. “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.”
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Carr, if confirmed, can assume control as FCC chairman once Trump enters office in January, as he’s already on the commission, according to Politico. He will replace Jessica Rosenworcel, who President Biden appointed to lead the commission. Carr’s current term on the FCC runs through 2029.
“We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans,” Carr wrote on X Sunday following Trump’s announcement.
Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, said in a statement: “NAB congratulates Commissioner Carr on his selection as the next chairman of the FCC. Commissioner Carr has been a steadfast leader in holding Big Tech accountable and supporting policies that will allow local broadcast stations to better compete with these behemoths and thrive. We are excited to continue our work with the chairman-designate to level the playing field and remove regulatory barriers that impede investment in local broadcast newsrooms. Together we will ensure local television and radio stations can innovate and continue to serve communities across the country.”
During the 2024 presidential race, Carr made headlines after criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris’s surprise Nov. 2 appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” claiming in a post on X that it was “a clear and blatant effort to evade the FCC’s Equal Time rule.”
Carr continued, “The purpose of the rule is to avoid exactly this type of biased and partisan conduct – a licensed broadcaster using the public airwaves to exert its influence for one candidate on the eve of an election. Unless the broadcaster offered Equal Time to other qualifying campaigns.”
Read Trump’s full statement about Carr below.
I am pleased to announce that Commissioner Brendan Carr will be Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Commissioner Carr currently serves as the senior Republican on the FCC. Before that, he was the FCC’s General Counsel. I first nominated Commissioner Carr to the FCC in 2017, and he has been confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate three times. His current term runs through 2029 and, because of his great work, I will now be designating him as permanent Chairman.
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.
Commissioner Carr has served at the FCC since 2012, including as an Advisor to then FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai. Earlier in his career, Commissioner Carr worked as an attorney specializing in Appellate, Litigation, and Regulatory matters. Previously, Commissioner Carr clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for Judge Dennis Shedd. After attending Georgetown University for his undergrad, Commissioner Carr earned his J.D. Magna Cum Laude from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law where he served as an Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. Congratulations to Chairman Brendan Carr on a job well done. Lead us into a great future, Brendan!