She reportedly warned that ABC’s appeasement of Trump hasn’t spared it from a “sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control.”
The FCC’s Anna Gomez warned that the network’s efforts to appease Trump have not spared it from a “sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control.”
May. 11, 2026, 2:23 PM EDT
By Ja'han Jones
Broadcast giant ABC’s apparent efforts to kneel at President Donald Trump’s feet have not spared the network from his administration’s “sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control,” according to a Biden-appointed member of the Federal Communications Commission.
That’s the crux of a warning reportedly sent by FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez to Josh D’Amaro, the CEO of Disney, the parent company of ABC. The Wall Street Journal reported on the letter, which has not been independently confirmed by MS NOW.
The timing is noteworthy, as it comes days after ABC submitted a filing accusing the FCC of free speech violations for investigating “The View,” a popular talk show Trump has threatened to take off the air.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said he's hopeful Skydance will make "significant changes" at CBS News.
Lydia O'Connor at HuffPost:
In a decision that critics say reeks of corruption and threatens press freedoms, the Federal Communications Commission has approved Skydance’s $8 billion acquisition of CBS parent company Paramount Global, both of which made significant concessions to President Donald Trump in recent weeks.
The merger approved Thursday is likely to result in a rightward shift at CBS News, one of the country’s three major media networks. In a statement announcing the agency’s approval, FCC Chairman and Project 2025 author Brendan Carr said he anticipates “significant changes” at the network.
“Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change,” he said. “That is why I welcome Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network. In particular, Skydance has made written commitments to ensure that the new company’s programming embodies a diversity of viewpoints from across the political and ideological spectrum.”
The approval comes a week after a federal filing in the matter revealed that Skydance, run by CEO David Ellison, promised the Trump administration it was committed to bringing “unbiased journalism” and “diverse viewpoints” that reflect the “varied ideological perspectives of American viewers” to CBS News ― signaling to the FCC that the network would present more Trump-friendly content.
[...]
The FCC’s lone Democrat, Anna Gomez, issued a scathing response to the commission’s approval Thursday.
“After months of cowardly capitulation to this Administration, Paramount finally got what it wanted. Unfortunately, it is the American public who will ultimately pay the price for its actions,” she wrote, accusing the FCC of coercing Paramount into the settlement.
The Trump Regime-controlled FCC gave the green light to the corrupt bribery-laden Paramount Global/Skydance merger.
See Also:
The Guardian: US regulators approve $8.4bn Paramount-Skydance merger
Daily Kos: 'Bribery is still illegal': Paramount merger reeks of Trump payoff
During today's Senate hearing, Brendan Carr denied the FCC is independent. Minutes later, someone edited the agency's website to remove the
Parker Molloy at The Present Age:
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr testified before the Senate Commerce Committee today, and I need to tell you about it. This was his first appearance before Congress since he threatened ABC back in September over Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night monologue about Charlie Kirk’s assassination. The hearing was contentious. Democrats accused Carr of turning the FCC into a censorship arm of the Trump administration. Carr, a Trump loyalist, insisted he was just doing his job.
But the wildest moment came when Sen. Ben Ray Luján asked Carr a simple question: Is the FCC an independent agency?
Carr said no. “Not an independent agency, formally speaking,” were his exact words.
Here’s where it gets absurd. The FCC’s own website, at that very moment, described the commission as “an independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress.” Within minutes of Carr’s answer, someone updated the website to remove the word “independent.”
Sit with that for a second. A federal agency’s website was edited in real time during a congressional hearing to match what its chairman had just testified. When Sen. Luján asked Republican Commissioner Olivia Trusty whether that meant the website had been lying, she said she couldn’t speak to its contents. “I’ve not seen that,” she told him.
Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, had a different answer. When asked if the FCC is independent, she said yes, and added: “We should be.”
[...]
The chilling effect is the point
At today’s hearing, Sen. Ed Markey brought up another case that didn’t get nearly as much national attention: KCBS, a radio station in San Francisco.
Back in January, KCBS reported on an ICE raid, describing the types of vehicles agents were driving. The station was reporting information that had been released by the mayor, a local city council member, and a community group. Standard local journalism.
Conservatives got upset. Carr accused the station of failing to operate in the public interest and opened an investigation. The station’s owner, Audacy, responded by demoting a well-regarded anchor and dialing back political coverage for months. Reporters were discouraged from pursuing political or controversial topics and encouraged to focus on human interest stories instead.
Doug Sovern, a veteran political journalist at the station, was sidelined after the investigation was announced. He retired in April. “’Chilling effect’ does not begin to describe the neutering of our political coverage,” he said.
Markey confronted Carr with this at the hearing. “The station demoted the anchor who first read that news report over the air and pulled back on its political coverage,” Markey said. “You got what you wanted.”
This is how it works. Carr doesn’t need to actually revoke anyone’s broadcast license. He just needs to threaten it. The threat is enough. Companies with billions of dollars in pending mergers that need FCC approval aren’t going to risk antagonizing the guy who can tank their deals. They’ll self-censor. They’ll punish their own journalists preemptively. The chilling effect is the point.
As Gomez put it in September, when Carr first went after Kimmel: “The threat is the point.”
Al Sikes, a Republican former FCC chairman who served under George H.W. Bush, called Carr’s approach “mobster” tactics. “What we’re seeing right now is new boundaries that are being set on the exercise of authority: punishing those that you don’t like and ensconcing those that you do.”
FCC Chair and MAGA henchman Brendan Carr admitted in front of the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday that the organization is no longer an independent government agency.
This is authoritarianism in action by the Trump Regime.
See Also:
The Guardian: FCC chair suggests agency is not independent amid fears of Trump power-grab
Right-leaning culture- and sports-focused podcasters are split over the free speech implications of ABC’s September 18 decision to preempt J
Alyssa Tirrell, Jack Winstanley, and Noah Dowe at MMFA:
Right-leaning culture- and sports-focused podcasters are split over the free speech implications of ABC’s September 18 decision to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live! “indefinitely.” The punitive move followed Federal Communication Commission Chairman Brendan Carr’s seeming threat over the host’s comments about the recent killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
Some hosts and panelists of podcasts have raised concerns about whether the move will have a “chilling effect on free speech,” as Tim Dillon put it, while others have claimed ABC was simply making a business decision or that Kimmel's comments justified his suspension. “This isn’t First Amendment,” said PBD Podcast panelist Tom Ellsworth.
Kimmel’s suspension came one day after Carr, who authored Project 2025’s chapter on the FCC, suggested ABC “can do this the easy way or the hard way,” echoing his promise to end supposed “biased and partisan conduct” from networks.
ABC pulled Kimmel off the air following pressure from conservative broadcasters and the FCC, whose chairman helped author Project 2025
During a monologue on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on September 15, Kimmel criticized the “MAGA gang” for “desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” According to The Guardian, the monologue was “recorded before Utah prosecutors released more information about the alleged killer,” and it was “not clear if Kimmel was suggesting Robinson was a literal supporter of Maga, or that his alleged political violence was part of a broader shift towards bloodshed and force in US politics, particularly among the far right.” [The Guardian, 9/18/25]
In a September 17 appearance on right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson’s show, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr appeared to threaten Kimmel's corporate bosses, saying, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” Carr also evoked the power that broadcasters like Nexstar and Sinclair hold, adding, “These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action on Kimmel or, you know, there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” [NPR, 9/18/25]
ABC affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcast Group announced they would pull Kimmel’s show from their local stations. [NPR, 9/18/25]
Nexstar is in the midst of a deal that requires FCC approval. The New York Times reported in August that Nexstar is in the final stages of a deal “to acquire a rival TV company, Tegna, for $6.2 billion,” which would allow it to “oversee 265 television stations in 44 states and Washington, D.C., cementing its position as the largest owner of local TV stations in the country.” The purchase, yet to be finalized, still “requires approval from the Federal Communications Commission.” [The New York Times, 8/19/25]
ABC, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, announced on September 17 that they were pulling Kimmel’s show “indefinitely.” ABC pulled the show, even though multiple executives reportedly “felt that Kimmel had not actually said anything over the line.” [The New York Times, 9/17/25; Rolling Stone, 9/17/25]
Carr authored the chapter of the conservative Project 2025 playbook about the FCC, and following Trump's selection of him to run the agency, he promised to “dismantle the censorship cartel and restore free speech rights for everyday Americans.” Carr, whose chapter of Mandate for Leadership called for “eliminating many of the heavy-handed FCC regulations,” also accused networks like CBS and NBC of engaging in “biased and partisan conduct” before the 2024 election, citing in part Saturday Night Live’s decision to air a skit featuring Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. [CBS News, 11/19/24; Brookings, 2/25/25; CNN, 9/18/25]
Carr has scrutinized and investigated numerous other networks and news outlets. Since the start of his tenure, Carr has launched investigations or “formal reviews” into “nearly all the major broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, NPR and PBS,” as well as Comcast and a San Francisco-based radio station. [NPR, 8/25/25; Los Angeles Times, 2/6/25]
The American Civil Liberties Union and the only Democrat on the FCC have raised alarms over the free speech implications of Carr’s actions. Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez stated at a conference hosted by Axios that “the FCC is weaponizing its licensing authority in order to bring broadcasters to heel,” adding that “the FCC doesn't have the authority, the ability, or the constitutional rights to revoke licenses because of content.” A statement from an ACLU spokesperson decried the pressure campaign as “beyond McCarthyism,” adding, “Trump officials are repeatedly abusing their power to stop ideas they don’t like, deciding who can speak, write, and even joke.” [NPR, 9/19/25; ACLU, 9/17/25]
Right-leaning podcasters split on whether or not the FCC-forced suspension of Jimmy Kimmel is an encroachment of free speech.
Donald Trump is engaged in a whole-of-government approach to remake the United States into a nation run by Trump’s whims--with no limits on his authority. In other words, Trump is seeking to make himself a dictator for life--and to do so he is copying the authoritarian playbook.
We saw numerous examples this week such as Trump’s FBI and DOJ firing people who worked on Trump’s two federal criminal cases. Then there was Elon Musk being given access to "sensitive Treasury data" that is responsible for paying more than $6 trillion annually to Americans via Social Security checks, Medicare payments, tax refunds and more. The Musk development is especially jarring given Trump could instantly freeze federal funds to people he views as not loyal to him—potentially placing the burden on those wronged to hire a lawyer at their own cost to sue the federal government.
But there is another development that has snuck beneath the radar but is part of Trump’s dream of ruling like a dictator. Trump’s FCC has opened up a multi-front war on media outlets with the goal being to send a message that if you criticize Trump, the FCC will come after you.
Trump’s handpicked FCC Chair Brendan Carr-one of the authors of Project 2025—has been spearheading this effort since he took office two weeks ago. Last week, Carr opened an investigation into two of Trump’s long time targets, PBS and NPR. Carr’s letter to these organizations begins ominously enough, “I am writing to inform you that I have asked the FCC's Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation regarding the airing of NPR and PBS programming across your broadcast member stations.”
The investigation is allegedly about whether PBS and NPR—which does receive some federal funding—has violated government rules by recognizing financial sponsors on the air. Carr, however, in this letter has already told us the conclusion he is seeking, “I do not see a reason why Congress should continue sending taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS.” (Only 1% of NPR’s funding is from the federal government while PBS is more reliant at 16%.)
Carr’s actions are because Trump has publicly demanded no government funding for these two outlets since they criticize him. For example, in April, Trump posted on Truth social, “NO MORE FUNDING FOR NPR, A TOTAL SCAM!... “THEY ARE A LIBERAL DISINFORMATION MACHINE. NOT ONE DOLLAR!!!”
In response to Carr’s investigation, Democratic FCC commissioner Anna Gomez wrote in a social media post, “This appears to be yet another Administration effort to weaponize the power of the FCC. The FCC has no business intimidating and silencing broadcast media.”
Gomez is 100% correct. But Carr was far from done in his efforts to utilize the FCC to silence critics. Carr also reinstated three complaints made by the Trump loving “Center for American Rights” against ABC, CBS and NBC. These three BS complaints were nothing more than a way to further Trump’s grievances about media coverage during the 2024 presidential campaign—and were rightfully dismissed by the prior FCC board for being “at odds with the First Amendment.”
But with Trump’s Carr at the helm, these three baseless complaints are back.
[...]
Trump is following the playbook of other right-wing leaders he admires, such as Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. This past July, the Associated Press published a detailed look at how Orbán has gained control of his nation’s media noting, “Orbán has created an almost Orwellian environment where the government weaponizes control of a majority of news outlets to limit Hungarians’ decisions.” As the AP noted, the press watchdog Reporters Without Borders detailed how Orbán’s oligarchs have used media buyouts to build “a true media empire subject to his party’s orders.”
Trump’s oligarch Elon Musk already did this very move with Twitter where it has become akin to Trump state media. Next will Trump harass and punish networks via his FCC until they agree to sell to his oligarchs? Very likely.
But at this time, Trump’s FCC is attempting to silence the few media outlets left that have not already bent a knee to Trump. History tell us, if the fascist regime can make an example of one media outlet by shutting it down, others will self-censor. As we know, self-censorship is the dictators best friend. That is why FCC commissioner Gomez is warning that Carr’s goal is to “instill fear in broadcast stations and influence a network’s editorial decisions.”
Thankfully, with the rise of independent media, it becomes more challenging for Trump to fully silence the truth. But don’t be surprised if Trump uses his administration to target one or two of the popular independent media outlets in hopes of intimidating other critics into silence.
The FCC under Project 2025 contributor Brendan Carr resembles a fascist propaganda machine that is doing Donald Trump’s bidding to quash media that opposes his deranged anti-American agenda.
See Also:
Public Notice (Lisa Needham): Trump's mobster media shakedowns
The $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance is fueling a fierce First Amendment fight and raising questions about the influence of
The $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance is fueling a fierce First Amendment fight and raising questions about the influence of the Trump administration. The FCC approved the deal by a 2-1 vote along party lines and came shortly after Paramount paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Trump. Anna Gomez was the sole dissenting vote and joined Geoff Bennett to discuss more.
Now would be a good time to start supporting your local PBS station.
Biggest threat to free speech “is coming from our own government,” Gomez says.
A Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission plans what she calls a First Amendment tour to fight the Trump administration's "ongoing campaign of censorship and control."
"Since the founding of our country, the First Amendment has protected our fundamental right to speak freely and hold power to account. Today, the greatest threat to that freedom is coming from our own government," Commissioner Anna Gomez said yesterday.
Gomez plans to focus on FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's actions against news broadcasters and tech firms. Under Carr, "the FCC is being weaponized to attack freedom of speech in the media and telecommunications sector instead of focusing on its core mission—connecting the public, protecting consumers, and supporting competition," Gomez's announcement said.
Gomez's office said "she is partnering with consumer and civil society organizations across the ideological spectrum to participate in speaking engagements and listening sessions focused on protecting the rights and freedoms enshrined in the First Amendment."
The first event is scheduled for Thursday and will be hosted by the Center for Democracy and Technology. The events will be open to the public and livestreamed when possible, and feature various speakers on free speech, media, and telecommunications issues.
With Democrat Geoffrey Starks planning to leave the commission soon, Republicans will gain a 2–1 majority, and Gomez is set to be the only Democrat on the FCC for at least a while. Carr is meanwhile pursuing news distortion investigations into CBS and ABC, and he has threatened Comcast with a similar probe into its subsidiary NBC.
Gomez's press release criticized Carr for these and other actions. "From investigating broadcasters for editorial decisions in their newsrooms, to harassing private companies for their fair hiring practices, to threatening tech companies that respond to consumer demand for fact-checking tools, the FCC's actions have focused on weaponizing the agency's authority to silence critics," Gomez's office said.
Gomez previously criticized Carr for reviving news distortion complaints that were dismissed shortly before Trump's inauguration. "We cannot allow our licensing authority to be weaponized to curtail freedom of the press," she said at the time.
