FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez on how a weaponized government endangers free speech

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez is a rare voice inside the Trump administration. For one, she’s actually speaking out against Trump’s abuses of power. Stranger still is that the Democratic appointee hasn’t been fired. (She explains why in our conversation.)From her perch at the Federal Communications Commission, she has seen up close how the agency is being used for political purposes to attack Trump’s critics in the media. But during our interview, she also spoke about a wider set of abuses:I have been very alarmed about what I see as this administration's campaign of censorship and control. And we've seen this throughout the administration. It is not just at the FCC, although weaponizing the FCC's licensing authority is certainly an important part of that.It is using the FCC to go after broadcasters for their editorial decisions.It is investigating public broadcasters, also because of the content of their news coverage, although they say they're investigating them because of their sponsorship announcements. But it's a sham investigation.It is going after law firms.It is going after universities for their curricula.It is arresting protesters.It is retaliating against critics of the administration.It is going after content at the Smithsonian with which it disagrees.It is going after diversity, equity, and inclusion at private companies….It is attempting to shutter the Voice of America and Radio Martí.It is harassing tech companies into not moderating content or providing fact-checking that consumers want.So we are seeing this campaign, which is, to me, a threat to our democracy. The First Amendment is a pillar of our democracy, and we must protect it because democracy is fragile. And freedom isn't free. And we must speak up when we see our government violating such an important tenet of our freedom.If you appreciate these conversations, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to Telos News. Thanks! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.telos.news/subscribe