Significant job

Trump makes big tech critic head of authority

(Bild: APA/The Washington Post)

US President-elect Donald Trump wants to appoint Brendan Carr, a "fighter for free speech", as chairman of the telecommunications regulator FCC. He is considered a critic of internet giants and has claimed that Google, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft are "censoring" Americans. There are also apparently two new potential finance ministers in the running.

Trump shared the news on the Truth Social platform. Carr has "fought against the laws that have suppressed the freedoms of Americans and slowed down our economy", according to Trump's message. He will put an end to the jumble of regulations that paralyze innovators.

Carr's reforms are said to have saved billions
The Republican Carr has already been working as an FCC commissioner for some time. In his role, he has helped to modernize infrastructure rules and accelerate the expansion of high-speed networks, according to the FCC website. His reforms have reduced bureaucracy to the tune of billions of dollars and expanded America's global leadership position in the 5G mobile communications standard. According to a report in the New York Times, X CEO and future government advisor Elon Musk is also said to have spoken out in favor of Carr's appointment. Carr said on the X platform that he would be honored to serve in the role.

Carr at a Republican event.

(Bild: APA/2024 Getty Images)

The post is likely to be of particular importance in the new administration. The FCC also awards broadcasting licenses for radio and television in the USA, among other things. During the election campaign, Trump frequently threatened to take action against political opponents if he won the election, to appoint special investigators against them, to charge them and even put them in prison - including journalists. He regularly refers to the media as "enemies of the people" and wants to revoke the licenses of unwelcome broadcasters.

Two new potential finance ministers in the running
Trump is also said to have added two more names to the list of possible candidates for the post of Treasury Secretary. As the New York Times (NYT) and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday, the former governor of the US Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, and billionaire Marc Rowan are now also being considered as possible candidates.

The investor Marc Rowan

(Bild: 2022 Getty Images)

Warsh (54) was a member of the Fed's governing body from 2006 to 2011 and is considered to be conservative in terms of monetary policy. Rowan (62) is co-founder and has been CEO of the investment firm Apollo since 2021. According to the WSJ, Republican Senator Bill Hagerty (65) from Tennessee is also in the running. Trump met with him last week at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Howard Lutnick, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, and investor Scott Bessent were previously considered the favorites for the post. However, Trump is said to have doubts about both candidates. Billionaire Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came out in favor of Lutnick on Saturday, making the internal tug-of-war over the decision public. An official nomination is still pending. Trump's transition team did not comment initially.