Brendan Carr is the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, a post President Donald Trump designated him to on January 20, 2025. He first joined the agency as a staffer in 2012 and served as its General Counsel. President Trump nominated him as a Commissioner in 2017 and President Joe Biden renominated him in 2023, and the Senate confirmed him unanimously three times.
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The White House calls its Trump-featuring television spots public service announcements and paid for them with taxpayer money. Critics in both parties object, and on October 5 Trump said he would pay with his own and MAGA Inc. money.
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Disney says the FCC is using eight local station licenses to punish ABC's programming. The agency says it is investigating employment practices under its licensing authority.
Role at the time: Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, speaking to reporters
Statement summary
On September 30, 2026, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr was asked by reporters about the taxpayer-funded ads featuring Trump and about the complaint Public Citizen filed with the FCC. As TheWrap reported, he said he sees nothing unique or different about the ads other than that they are normal public service announcements, the types the government naturally and normally runs. NBC News and Reuters reported that he also said nothing in them merits FCC review.
“I don't think there's anything unique or different about it, other than being a normal PSA: the types of PSAs that the government naturally and normally runs.”
The conduct under scrutiny is federal payment for Trump-promoting ads. Carr treats the ads as ordinary government public service announcements and sees nothing unusual in the government running them, which defends the practice. The closest competing label is Challenged the characterization, because he laughed when asked about allegations that the ads are propaganda and said nothing in them merits FCC review; it does not fit because his remarks accept the government's role in producing and running them.
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
Statement dates: September 30, 2026
