Why FCC Chair Brendan Carr Is a Dangerous Moron

Kara is joined by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, Knight First Amendment Institute executive director Jameel Jaffer, and The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel to discuss FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s escalating campaign against media companies, broadcasters and speech President Trump dislikes.

They discuss Carr’s threats against ABC/Disney (nytimes.com/2026/05/08/business/media/abc-fcc-…), his attempts to revive old rules around “equal time” and “news distortion,” (theverge.com/policy/902132/brendan-carr-iran-b…) and the Trump administration's broader push to control federal agencies (npr.org/2025/02/20/nx-s1-5302537/history-congr…). They also explain how Carr's actions create a chilling effect on free speech (knightcolumbia.org/blog/knight-institute-joins…), and why media companies must fight back. Plus: Why Nilay says Carr's actions towards broadcasters are a "test balloon" for future internet regulation.

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