President-elect Donald Trump announced Sunday evening the selection of Brendan Carr as the next Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In his statement, Trump praised Carr as a “warrior for Free Speech” and highlighted his efforts to address what he described as “regulatory lawfare” that has inhibited economic progress and suppressed individual freedoms.
“Brendan Carr will put an end to the regulatory overreach that has stifled America’s job creators and innovators,” Trump remarked. “Under his leadership, the FCC will prioritize delivering results for rural America.”
Carr, currently serving as the senior Republican commissioner at the FCC, has been a member of the agency’s five-person board since his appointment by Trump in 2017. The FCC, tasked with overseeing the regulation of the country’s communications systems, operates under a structure where commissioners are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Following the announcement, Carr expressed his gratitude in a social media post. “I am deeply honored to be named Chairman of the FCC. The real work begins now,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. In a subsequent post, he outlined his primary goals: “It’s time to dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for all Americans.”
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
“We must dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans,” he added, according to Politico.
Carr has proven to be a partisan lightning rod in the months leading up to the election, constantly criticizing the Biden White House’s handling of broadband expansion subsidies, and cozying up to satellite broadband executive Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter. Carr drafted a chapter of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 blueprint for the new administration, outlining his hopes to draw the FCC back into debates around social media content moderation.
In a recent statement congratulating Trump’s election victory, Carr said FCC priorities should include “reining in Big Tech” and “ensuring that broadcasters operate in the public interest.”
Carr has been a prominent critic of media bias. Recently, he highlighted NBC’s Saturday Night Live for featuring Vice President Kamala Harris without providing equal airtime to Trump—a requirement under the FCC’s Equal Time rule during election cycles. He described the decision as a “flagrant violation” of rules ensuring fair access to public airwaves.
As chairman, Carr is expected to advocate for policies focused on deregulation, expanding broadband access in rural areas, and strengthening free speech protections.
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