Revealed: FCC chair Brendan Carr’s close coordination with White House and rightwing media

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr was very firm. “As a general rule, we don’t get into any discussions that happen with the White House or don’t happen with the White House,” the Chairman told Politico’s Dasha Burns in a recent interview. While Chairman Carr may not be keen to detail his relations with the Trump administration, a trove of FCC documents—obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request and lawsuit filed by the advocacy group Democracy Forward, and provided to the Guardian—shed light on the close working relationship between Chairman Carr, his top staffers and members of the Trump White House team. Between 12 March 2025 and 11 February 2026, Chairman Carr attended at least eight meetings at the White House, according to the records, and had at least three scheduled calls with administration officials, including two conversations with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. In addition, the files provide insight into Carr’s media strategy, including communications with producers at Fox News, and make public previously undisclosed meetings he has held with media titans such as Fox Corp Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch and Sinclair Broadcast Group Chair David Smith. “These records show a remarkable breadth of access to FCC leadership for this administration’s political allies, conservative media figures, and powerful industry interests, including companies and organizations with business before the commission,” said Dan McGrath, special counsel, oversight at Democracy Forward. “This raises serious questions about whether the FCC is operating as an independent regulator, or whether political relationships and industry influence have become too intertwined with its decision-making.”