President Donald Trump has nominated Danielle Thumann Severs to serve as a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, the White House announced on 7 August 2026 (Reuters).

The nomination fills one of two vacancies on the five-seat commission (Deadline). The FCC — the US agency that regulates television, radio, broadband and telecommunications — has been operating with only three commissioners: two Republicans, Chairman Brendan Carr and Olivia Trusty, and one Democrat, Anna Gomez (Variety).

If confirmed by the Senate, Thumann Severs would give Republicans a 3-1 advantage at the commission, with one seat still unfilled (Variety). She was nominated for a five-year term beginning 1 July 2024 (Variety).

Thumann Severs is not a newcomer to the agency. She currently serves as senior counsel to Chairman Carr, advising him on matters before three FCC bureaus: the Wireline Bureau, which oversees landline telephone and broadband services; the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau; and the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (Variety). Her career at the FCC began in March 2021, when she joined Carr's office as a legal adviser, a role she held until July 2023 (Variety).

Between her two stints in Carr's office, she worked in the private sector on government relations for Crown Castle, one of the largest providers of telecommunications infrastructure and cell towers in the US. She returned to the FCC in August 2024 (Variety). Before her government career, she practised as a communications attorney at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, a Washington law firm (Variety).

Carr publicly congratulated Thumann Severs on her nomination in a social media post on 7 August 2026 (Variety). Industry reaction has begun arriving. NCTA — the trade body for internet and television providers — praised the pick, with president and CEO Cory Gardner citing her "deep expertise in communications law and policy" (Variety).

Thumann Severs holds a law degree from the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law, where she served as associate editor of the law review, and a bachelor's degree in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia (Variety).

The nomination now heads to the Senate for confirmation hearings and a vote. No timeline has been set.