US DoJ antitrust nominee grilled over comments on Muslims, FCC actions

US Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, pressed Adam Candeub, President Donald Trump's nominee to head the justice department's antitrust division, on Wednesday about his past comments and the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) stance on political speech.

Candeub, who is currently the general counsel at the FCC, made headlines in 2016 when he described Muslim immigrants as "prone to terrorism" in an article. He appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, with the panel set to vote on whether to proceed with his nomination to the full Senate.

During the hearing, Kennedy questioned Candeub about the FCC's decision to order an early license review of Disney's eight company-owned ABC stations, following Trump's pressure to pull the licenses due to content disagreements. Kennedy, curious about the FCC's role in such matters, asked, "Explain to me like you're talking to a tenth grader, what business it is of the FCC if a television network criticises a political figure?"

Candeub replied, asserting the FCC's authority to regulate broadcasters in the public interest, guided by law and past precedent. Kennedy, however, remained skeptical, asking, "Doesn't that scare you? What if the FCC is in the hands of someone whose politics you disagree with?"

On the issue of antitrust, Candeub maintained that "free markets generally have the answer" and that "the evidence must be strong" to bring a case.