Commissioner Criticizes "Weaponizing" of The FCC

Thursday at the Axios Media Trends Live event in Washington, D.C., FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, the agency's sole remaining Democratic member, delivered pointed criticism of the Trump administration's approach to regulating broadcasters. 

Gomez, appointed by President Biden in 2023 and confirmed unanimously by the Senate, accused the FCC under Chairman Brendan Carr of "weaponizing its licensing authority in order to bring broadcasters to heel." 

Gomez's remarks were part of a broader panel discussion on media trends, where she emphasized the FCC's role in protecting free speech and the press under the First Amendment. She stated that the commission's actions represent a "dangerous precedent" of transforming an independent regulator into an "instrument of political censorship." 

Drawing from her experiences as the lone Democrat on a commission now dominated by Trump appointees Gomez vowed to "refuse to stay quiet" amid what she described as an "absolute pattern of censorship and control." She highlighted how licensing reviews, investigations, and threats are being leveraged to "chill speech and punish the press," particularly outlets critical of President Trump.

Since Carr assumed the chairmanship on January 20, 2025, following Trump's inauguration, Gomez has been vocal in dissents and public statements, positioning herself as a defender of the FCC's independence. For instance, in May 2025, she spoke at the Media Institute Communications Forum, warning that the agency was being "weaponized to chill speech" and praising past chairs for resisting political pressure. Her Axios comments echo these themes but come at a heightened moment, amid escalating tensions over specific broadcaster investigations and the recent suspension of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live!