On November 18, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump (Trump) announced on Sunday, November 17, that he would appoint Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Brendan Carr as the chairman of the agency.
In a statement on Sunday, Trump mentioned that he first nominated Carr to the FCC in 2017, and the Republican later became one of the five commissioners of the agency with unanimous confirmation from the U.S. Senate.
Trump wrote in the statement, “His current term will continue until 2029, and due to his outstanding work, I am now designating him as the permanent chairman.”
“Commissioner Carr is a warrior for free speech, who has been fighting against weaponized regulations that stifle the freedom of Americans and hinder our economic development,” added Trump. “He will put an end to regulatory impacts that have been weakening job creators and innovators in the U.S., and ensure that the FCC serves rural America as well.”
“Congratulations to Chairman Brendan Carr for his excellent work,” Trump concluded in the statement, “Lead us towards a better future, Brendan!”
Carr later took to social media platform X to thank Trump, expressing that he felt “humbled and honored to serve as the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.”
The FCC is an independent federal agency in the U.S. responsible for regulating interstate and international communications.
According to political news website Politico, as Carr was already a member of the FCC, upon Trump’s inauguration, this Republican could immediately assume the role of chairman of the agency.
Carr recently drew attention for his comments before Election Day in the U.S. He posted on social media platform X on November 2, regarding Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris appearing earlier on NBC’s comedy sketch television show “Saturday Night Live”, stating that it was “an obvious, blatant effort to circumvent the FCC’s Equal Time rule” and called for an investigation into the matter.
The FCC’s Equal Time rule was established in 1934, requiring radio and television stations to provide equal airtime for competing political candidates. Exceptions include news broadcasts, documentaries, and political debates.
Carr pointed out in his statement that during this election cycle, “Saturday Night Live” did not provide equal airtime for Republican candidate Trump or other presidential candidates.
Carr’s comments prompted NBC to air some footage of Trump prior to Election Day, even though they did not arrange for his appearance, to avoid potential FCC investigations.