Obama's FCC Chair Concerned With Carr's Agenda

Tom Wheeler, who served as FCC Chairman under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017, has publicly criticized the actions of current FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and the broader agenda of President Donald Trump’s administration. 

Wheeler argues that Carr’s policies represent “an unprecedented expansion of government intrusion into free speech” and a threat to democratic principles. His concerns, detailed in a post on Lawfare and covered by Light Reading, focus on several key issues:

Wheeler contends that Carr is using the FCC’s authority to target media outlets and suppress editorial discretion, framing it as “censorship.” Specifically, Carr has initiated investigations into news programs like 60 Minutes over alleged “news distortion” in a Kamala Harris interview and scrutinized a San Francisco radio station’s coverage of ICE raids. Wheeler argues these actions undermine the First Amendment by punishing broadcasters for content the Trump administration dislikes.

Tom Wheeler

Wheeler warns that Carr’s actions align with Trump’s push to bring the FCC, an independent agency, under tighter White House control. Trump’s executive order asserting direct oversight of regulatory agencies like the FCC is cited as evidence of bypassing Congress and the judiciary, which Wheeler calls a “direct assault” on the constitutional balance of power. He notes the hypocrisy of legislators who criticized Obama’s influence on net neutrality but now support Trump’s control.

Wheeler and others, including former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, highlight Carr’s selective targeting of media outlets perceived as left-leaning (e.g., CBS, NBC, NPR, PBS) while dismissing complaints against conservative outlets like Fox. For example, Carr reinstated bias complaints against ABC, NBC, and CBS but not one against Fox over its 2020 election coverage. This suggests a partisan agenda, undermining the FCC’s impartiality.

Wheeler’s alarm stems from his tenure as FCC Chairman, where he championed net neutrality and faced accusations of White House influence himself, though he maintains Obama respected the FCC’s independence. His current critique is echoed by other FCC figures, like Commissioner Anna Gomez, who warned of a “pattern of censorship and control” at a 2025 broadcasters’ convention, and former Republican FCC Chair Alfred Sikes, who criticized Carr’s actions as news censorship.