Brendan Carr, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which is the nation’s top watchdog over the broadcast industry, was at the center of a media storm on Wednesday.
In an interview on a right-wing podcast, Mr. Carr criticized comments that late night host Jimmy Kimmel had made earlier this week about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Shortly afterward, ABC decided to pull the Jimmy Kimmel Live show off the air “indefinitely.” Many Democrats immediately criticized the F.C.C. pressure, while President Trump said the suspension of Mr. Kimmel’s show was “Great News for America.”
Here’s what to know about Mr. Carr.
What is Carr’s background?
Mr. Carr, 46, a native of Washington, D.C., began his career as a lawyer representing corporate clients, including in the wireless industry, on regulatory matters. In 2012, he joined the F.C.C. as a staff attorney.
Since then, he has risen the ranks at the agency and within the Republican Party. He worked with Mr. Trump’s first-term pick for the regulator’s chair, Ajit Pai. In mid-2017, Mr. Carr was named to a Republican seat on the commission.
As a commissioner, he drew attention from Republicans for his vocal criticism of news media outlets for what he called liberal biases.
Mr. Carr wrote the F.C.C. chapter for Project 2025, a playbook written for Mr. Trump’s 2024 campaign and election. In it, Mr. Carr said the agency should focus on reining in big tech firms, which he accused of censorship.
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The post Who Is Brendan Carr of the F.C.C.? appeared first on New York Times.
