Donald Trump has picked Brendan Carr to serve as his next FCC chairman, selecting the senior Republican on the commission. Carr’s choice had been expected. Trump nominated Carr to serve on the FCC in his first term.
Trump said in a statement, “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.” While Republican majorities traditionally usher in deregulation, Carr has been a frequent critic of private tech platforms.
For years, he has railed against social media for what he characterizes as efforts to stifle conservative voices, even though companies deny such systematic discrimination takes place. Carr authored a portion of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 that is calling for limitations on social media giants’ ability to moderate their content. That said, Carr criticized NBC for featuring Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live just days before the presidential election.
The network gave equal time to Donald Trump the next day, but even after Trump’s victory, Carr continued to chide the network, and even encouraged other presidential candidates to file an equal time complaint..
