Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr, low-key one of the worst people in the Trump administration, has a pledge for all you patriot broadcasters as we approach America’s 250th birthday. It’s voluntary—wink, wink!
The pledge features the usual burbling about how great it is that our glorious leader, President Donald Trump, is marching us to the semiquincentennial, which will occur on July 4, 2026. But then it gets to the meat of the pledge, which urges broadcasters to air “patriotic, pro-America content that celebrates the American journey and inspires its citizens by highlighting the historic accomplishments of this great nation from our founding through the Trump Administration today.”
What this is really about, though, is signaling to broadcasters that they need to get with the patriot program, and if they do, there might be a little something in it for them.
That’s because this little missive happens to be going to many broadcasters that have pending merger requests or regulatory actions in front of the FCC. If media companies have learned one thing from this administration, it is that you have to suck up to Carr and Trump if you want to do business. And it’s an extremely unsubtle way to signal to companies that they should integrate Carr’s patriotic suggestions into their broadcast day. Indeed, the pledge even says so: “Broadcasters can voluntarily choose to indicate their commitment to the Pledge America Campaign and highlight their ongoing and relevant programming to their viewing and listening audiences.”
What’s “patriotic,” according to Carr? Glad you asked! Carr has thoughts. Sure, they may sound like those of a not particularly bright 12-year-old raised by MAGA types, but they are thoughts! Here’s what you, random NBC affiliate in Ohio that’s just trying to get a merger done, can do to show Carr how much you love Trump America:
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“Running PSAs, short segments, or full specials specifically promoting civic education, inspiring local stories, and American history.”
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“Starting each broadcast day with the “Star Spangled Banner” or Pledge of Allegiance.”
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“Airing music by America’s greatest composers, such as John Philip Sousa, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, or George Gershwin.”
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“Providing daily ‘Today in American History’ announcements highlighting significant events that took place on that day in history.”
Imagine this racist-as-hell administration actually wanting broadcasters to honor jazz pianist Duke Ellington.
Carr also laments the demise of “Schoolhouse Rock!,” the animated education program that taught American kids all about things like bills. But that lament is just proof he has no idea what “Schoolhouse Rock!” sang about.
Does Carr really want a rousing rendition of the 1975 song “No More Kings,” which includes lyrics such as “Gonna hold a revolution now, king, / And we're gonna run it all our way / With no more kings.”
Or perhaps Carr would like to give a listen to 1976’s “The Great American Melting Pot”?
Lovely Lady LibertyWith her book of recipes
And the finest one she's got
Is the great American melting pot
The great American melting pot.
What good ingredients,
Liberty and immigrants.
Carr pretending he’s some avatar of freedom is ridiculous. His entire career at the FCC has been nothing but multiple First Amendment violations dressed in a trenchcoat. He doesn’t hesitate at all to use the might of the government to control speech.
He was behind the successful push to get CBS to pull late-night host Stephen Colbert’s interview of Texas Democrat James Talarico after inventing a brand-new equal-time rule that somehow hurts only Democrats and non-Fox-News shows. He also nudged the network to cancel Colbert’s program as a necessity for the government to approve of a network merger.
He also pressured ABC to pull Jimmy Kimmel off the air after the late-night host dared speak of slain bigot Charlie Kirk in a less-than-reverent way.
Carr also has no business scolding anyone about not spending enough time honoring America’s history. The Trump administration has undertaken a comprehensive effort to eradicate America’s actual history, which is complex and pockmarked with genuinely shameful acts.
But Carr doesn’t want broadcasters to do actual history. He doesn’t want broadcasters to highlight the rich pageant of diversity that is America. He wants fealty to Trump and the Pledge of Allegiance being beamed into everyone’s homes. That’s definitely not what the founders intended, dude.
Lisa Needham February 20, 2026 at 11:30PM From Daily Kos
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