Donald Trump Selects Brendan Carr to lead the Federal Communications Commission

President-elect Donald Trump named Brendan Carr as the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on Sunday. The FCC is an independent government agency responsible for regulating communications in the United States.
Carr currently holds the position of the leading Republican commissioner at the FCC. Throughout his tenure, he has backed Elon Musk’s efforts to secure government funding for broadband internet expansion. Additionally, Carr voiced opposition to NBC’s decision to feature Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live prior to the election.
Carr, currently serving on the commission, is poised to bring change to an agency that oversees the licensing of airwaves for radio and TV, regulates phone service costs, and works to expand access to home internet, stated a report by New York Times. Prior to the election, Trump expressed his desire for the agency to revoke the licenses of broadcasters like NBC and CBS, citing concerns over biased or unfair coverage.
Aged 45 years, Carr was the author of a chapter on the F.C.C. in the conservative Project 2025 planning document, in which he argued that the agency should also regulate the largest tech companies, such as Apple, Meta, Google and Microsoft.
Telecommunications attorneys and analysts are of the belief that Carr could use the Federal Communications Commission as a political weapon to oversee the tech giants. This in turn, could lead to a ‘fierce battle’ with the Silicon Valley, reported New York Times.
According to Donald Trump’s statement, the to-be FCC Chairman is a “warrior for Free Speech.” “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,” The New York Post quoted Trump as saying.
Donald Trump had nominated Carr to the FCC during in his first administration in January, 2017, after he had served as the FCC’s general counsel.