One Commissioner. No Allies. Ticking Clock.

Anna Gomez starts every morning the same way: she checks her phone to see if Trump fired her yet.

According to AP News, that's her actual daily routine.

Gomez is the sole Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, outnumbered 4-to-1 with Chairman Brendan Carr — a Trump loyalist — running the show. Her term expires June 30, 2026. After that, she may stay if no replacement is confirmed, but her influence in voting is limited.

Gomez is creating a public record of what she sees as regulatory overreach.

The Letter Disney Can't Ignore

Earlier this month, Gomez sent a four-page letter directly to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Not a press release. Not a committee statement. A letter, addressed to the man running the company.

In it, she described the FCC's "sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control" against Disney and its ABC network, according to AP News reporting confirmed across multiple outlets including ClickOnDetroit.

The FCC under Carr has launched investigations into Disney touching on:

• ABC's diversity practices
• ABC's moderation of the 2024 presidential debate
• Guest bookings on "The View"
• The administration's public calls for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired

The FCC also moved for early reviews of ABC's broadcast licenses in markets where it owns local stations. Gomez called that move "the most egregious assault on the First Amendment this FCC has taken to date."

Broadcast license reviews have historically been used as political leverage. The FCC controls whether local stations stay on the air.

Gomez to Disney: The Settlement Bought You Nothing

Her sharpest line was aimed at Disney's own decisions.

Disney paid a $15 million defamation settlement shortly before Trump returned to office. The settlement was widely seen as an attempt to neutralize political heat. Gomez's verdict: it failed.

"That settlement did not buy you peace," she wrote. "It only bought you time."

Paying a settlement to a political adversary rarely makes them back off. It signals weakness. The investigations didn't stop — they multiplied.

Disney has NOT publicly responded to the letter through its CEO. But according to ClickOnDetroit, Disney did file a response with the FCC itself, accusing the commission of taking actions that could "chill critical protected speech." Gomez called that a step in the right direction.

Partisan Context and Legal Questions

Left-leaning outlets like AP News and The Washington Post are framing this largely as a lone dissenter fighting authoritarian overreach.

Several dimensions warrant scrutiny:

First, Gomez was appointed by Biden and now serves as the minority voice. Her concerns about regulatory overreach come with a political motive.

Second, the FCC investigating broadcast licenses and diversity practices isn't automatically illegal. Investigations are not convictions. The question of whether those investigations cross into retaliation — and therefore First Amendment violation — is a legitimate legal question that hasn't been adjudicated by courts.

Third, the underlying basis for Disney's $15 million settlement has received little examination. That number didn't come out of nowhere. Understanding Disney's original legal exposure provides important context.

FCC Overreach and First Amendment Concerns

Government using regulatory licensing power to pressure editorial decisions at news networks raises significant First Amendment questions. It doesn't matter if the target is ABC, Fox News, or MSNBC. Using broadcast license reviews as a weapon against coverage you don't like creates regulatory pressure against editorial independence.

Chairman Brendan Carr has NOT publicly responded to Gomez's letter or her specific accusations of a coordinated censorship campaign, according to available reporting.

Regulatory Reach Across the Country

The FCC regulates every broadcast TV and radio station in America. When the government bases license reviews on guest bookings at talk shows, that affects what every local affiliate in the country is willing to air.

Stations don't need to be shut down to self-censor. They just need to be scared enough to avoid controversial content. That's cheaper and harder to prove in court.

Gomez is one vote on a five-member commission with an expiration date. She can't stop anything. She can create a documented record of what's happening before she's gone.

Whether that record becomes a legal exhibit or a historical footnote depends entirely on whether Disney and other broadcasters decide to fight — or keep writing checks.

So far, they've mostly been writing checks.