President-elect Donald Trump announced his pick to head the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to chair the agency.
On Sunday, Trump appointed senior GOP Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr to lead the agency and called him a “warrior for Free Speech.”
“Commissioner Carr currently serves as the senior Republican on the FCC. Before that, he was the FCC’s General Counsel," a statement from Trump read. “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,” the statement continued. “[Carr] fought against the regulatory Lawfare that 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.”
Thank you, President Trump!
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) November 18, 2024
I am humbled and honored to serve as Chairman of the FCC.
Now we get to work. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MPyL2d38kT
Currently, Carr is the leading Republican in the FCC— an independent agency that regulates communications within the United States and abroad.
Carr has been critical of the Biden-Harris Administration, specifically for misusing the $42 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. He has also criticized online platforms such as Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft for playing "central roles in the censorship cartel," which he said "must be dismantled.”
In addition, he has supported legislation that would penalize social media platforms that block people for their opinions and “viewpoints.”
Trump has indicated he wants to tighten the FCC's regulations when he assumes office. The incoming 47th president said he would challenge television networks' licenses over “fake news.”