Adam Candeub, the FCC's general counsel and President Trump's nominee to head the DOJ antitrust division, was grilled by senators about a past article describing Muslim immigrants as "prone to terrorism" and about the FCC's authority over political speech. Candeub said he wrote in defense of the administration's travel ban and defended the FCC's power to regulate broadcasters in the public interest. Senators also questioned the agency's review of Disney's ABC station licenses after presidential pressure. He told the committee that antitrust enforcement should be cautious and supported by strong evidence.
DOJ Antitrust Nominee Facing Senate Scrutiny Over Remarks About Muslims and FCC Actions
FILE PHOTO: United States Department of Justice logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration created on April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Aug 5 (Reuters) - Adam Candeub, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Justice Department's antitrust division, faced intense questioning Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee over past writings about Muslim immigrants and his views on the Federal Communications Commission's authority to regulate political speech.
Hearing Highlights
Candeub, currently the Federal Communications Commission's general counsel, is under consideration to oversee the DOJ's antitrust enforcement, including policing anticompetitive conduct and reviewing mergers and acquisitions. The committee will vote on whether to advance his nomination to the full Senate.
Democratic senators pressed Candeub about an article in which he wrote that "Muslim immigrants and their children seem prone not only to terrorism, but to cultural separatism." When asked whether he stood by the passage, Candeub responded:
"I wrote those articles in defense of Donald Trump's travel ban, which protects against terrorism. And I thought that terrorism continues to be a tremendous threat to all Americans."
Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana questioned Candeub about the FCC's role in policing political expression by broadcasters. The agency has faced scrutiny after ordering an early license review of Disney's eight company-owned ABC stations following repeated pressure from President Trump to pull the licenses over programming decisions. The FCC said the review resulted from a year-long probe into whether Disney's diversity policies amounted to unlawful discrimination; Disney denies the allegation.
Kennedy asked, "Explain to me like you're talking to a tenth grader, what business is it of the FCC if a television network criticizes a political figure?" Candeub defended the agency's remit, saying the FCC has authority to regulate broadcasters in the public interest based on statute and precedent. Kennedy pressed: "Doesn't that scare you? What if the FCC is in the hands of someone whose politics you disagree with?"
Views on Antitrust Enforcement
On antitrust policy, Candeub emphasized restraint, arguing that "free markets generally have the answer" and that prosecutors should only bring cases when "the evidence is strong." His remarks signal a preference for a conservative, evidence-heavy approach to enforcement.
Reporting: Jody Godoy. Editing: Edmund Klamann.
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