Gomez Sounds The Alarm: Whoever Speaks Up, Will Be Targeted

FCC's Anna Gomez

Democrat FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez sounded the alarm Monday at the NAB Show In Las Vegas.

She made it clear thar she perceives as a dangerous overreach from Washington and to rally the industry to stand up and speak out.

Gomez didn’t mince words, accusing the Trump administration of turning the FCC into a political weapon aimed at silencing dissenters who challenge its agenda. “I can imagine there’s a chilling effect at work here. Whoever speaks up is going to be targeted,” she said. “I get it—these groups have to navigate this climate, and sticking your neck out isn’t easy. But if they’re targeted, I hope they’ll consider what giving in means for our democracy.”

Gomez personally funded her trip to the NAB Show in Las Vegas after a government travel restriction left her with no other option

Her remarks came with a pointed critique of the past three months in Washington, where she’s witnessed the Trump administration pressuring the FCC into actions she repeatedly labeled as troubling. “There’s a coordinated, administration-wide push to censor and control,” Gomez said. “The weaponization of the FCC’s licensing power is just one piece of that puzzle.”

She went further, claiming that investigations are being wielded as tools of intimidation. “They’re harassing and bullying broadcasters to tweak their editorial choices and churn out content that flatters this administration—it’s alarming,” she said. Still, Gomez doubts the FCC would take the drastic step of revoking licenses or imposing fines. “The harassment itself is the goal, not some final punishment. They know this wouldn’t hold up under our legal authority,” she argued.

While Gomez took the stage in Vegas, fellow Commissioner Carr skipped the event. He’s previously pushed back against such criticism, insisting his actions have been “mischaracterized” and that his focus is on fairness for all.