On August 7, 2026, Trump nominated Danielle Thumann Severs, senior counsel to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, for a five-year term as a commissioner, retroactive to July 1, 2024. If the Senate confirms her, she would join Republicans Carr and Olivia Trusty to give the party a 3-1 majority over the commission's lone Democrat, Anna Gomez. Three members is both the most one party may hold under federal law and the minimum needed for a quorum.
The FCC has two vacant seats, open since Republican Nathan Simington and Democrat Geoffrey Starks left in June 2025. Historically, when two seats were open, presidents nominated a Republican and a Democrat together. Trump nominated only a Republican, made no announcement about the other vacancy, and has not committed to renominating Gomez, whose term expired June 30 and who is serving in holdover status. Senate Commerce ranking Democrat Maria Cantwell told Politico the lack of a Democratic pairing “will be a problem,” adding, “We want pairing.”
The nomination came days after the FCC voted 2-1 along party lines to scrap the 39 percent national television ownership cap, a move critics say will spur consolidation. Variety noted the commission has also called for early review of ABC's station licenses, a step ABC and former FCC chairs called an attempt to intimidate broadcasters whose coverage Trump dislikes. A Republican quorum without Gomez would also remove the main practical obstacle to Trump firing her, as he did the two Democrats on the Federal Trade Commission, according to Deadline and Inside Radio (see The FCC Votes to Scrap the 39% National TV Ownership Cap Set by Congress, Clearing the Way for More Media Consolidation, Trump's FCC Chairman Demands 'Pro-America Programming,' Declares 'Fake News' Loses Legal Protections, and Moves to Eliminate Media Ownership Caps).
Update (October 2, 2026): The Senate Commerce Committee hearing set for September 17 was postponed after Thumann Severs gave birth; Chairman Ted Cruz said it will not be rescheduled until she returns from maternity leave, likely pushing her review to the lame-duck session. Civil rights groups and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have urged the Senate to hold her nomination until Gomez is renominated so the two can move together.
Correction (October 2, 2026): The entry gave the nominee's name as Danielle Thumann; the nomination and most coverage use Danielle Thumann Severs. It also said Trump had not committed to renominating Gomez “when her term expires”; her term already expired on June 30, 2026, and she is serving in holdover status. The text has been corrected.