FCC Chair Make Sure Never Discuss Trump Mobile With White House

JAKARTA - Chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, confirmed that he had never held talks with the White House regarding Trump's branded mobile phone service and a $499 smartphone device called Trump Mobile.

Carr, who was appointed Chairman of the FCC by President Donald Trump in January 2025, told reporters he had just learned of the Trump Mobile project through a public press release and had no communication with outside his agency about it.

"We will carry out a normal process if there is anything the FCC needs to do regarding the project," said Carr. I think competition is a good thing, so I welcome if there are more new actors and more competitions.

Trump Mobile himself is operated by Liberty Mobile Wireless, a Florida company founded in 2018 by entrepreneur Matthew Lopatin. The company operates as a virtual network operator (MVNO), by renting capacity from major providers such as T-Mobile to provide services under different brands.

On the same occasion, Carr also said that the FCC was still reviewing the planned USD 8.4 billion merger between CBS parent company Paramount Global, and Skydance Media. Until the deadline of 180 informal review days in mid-May, the FCC has yet to make a decision.

"We are still carrying out the review process as usual for this case," he said.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is suing CBS on charges of misleading editing in an interview with program 60 Minutes with presidential candidate 2024, Kamala Harris. Trump accused the show of being deliberately modified to benefit Democrats and Harris in the election. In the lawsuit, Trump demanded compensation of 20 billion US dollars.

In January 2025, Carr reopened the complaint against the 60 Minutes interview, as well as complaints regarding Disney's ABC News's way of moderated television debate between President Joe Biden and Trump before the election, as well as against Comcast's NBC for showing Kamala Harris' performance on Saturday Night Live ahead of voting day.

CBS urges the FCC to reject the complaint on the grounds that they did nothing wrong and that the complaint aims to make the FCC a permanent content sensor.