Brendan Carr: podcast appearances and interviews

Brendan Thomas Carr, born on January 5, 1979, is an American lawyer who has served as the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) since 2025. He has been a commissioner of the FCC since 2017. Carr studied government at Georgetown University and graduated from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in 2005. Prior to joining the FCC, he worked in private practice and served as an advisor to Commissioner Ajit Pai. After Pai became the chair of the FCC in January 2017, Carr was appointed as the commission's general counsel. In June 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Carr to serve as a commissioner of the FCC, and he initially focused on network issues. During his tenure, he publicly criticized social media companies and China over perceived authoritarian policies. Carr was involved in the development of Project 2025 and contributed a section to the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership (2023). In November 2024, President-elect Trump appointed Carr as chair of the FCC, a role he assumed following Trump's second inauguration. As chair, Carr engaged in investigations into companies' diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, and took actions related to organizational hiring practices. He played a role in the merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global, advocating for the inclusion of an ombudsman to ensure multiple perspectives, which raised ethical concerns. Carr has also aimed to expand the FCC's mandate to promote public-interest programming and has taken controversial actions, including threatening broadcasters over certain late-night shows.