Simington Urges Trump to Nominate Gavin Wax to FCC

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2025 – Nathan Simington, who stepped down from the Federal Communications Commission on Friday, has called on President Donald Trump to nominate Gavin Wax as his successor.

Wax, who has served as Simington’s chief of staff since April, surfaced in conservative circles over the weekend as the president’s potential pick for Simington’s replacement. Before coming to the FCC, Wax was a vocal supporter of Trump’s agenda and made waves as the former leader of the New York Young Republican Club, turning the club into a powerhouse for the ‘Make America Great Again’ movement.

Simington told the Daily Caller on June 7 that he “was not surprised to hear of the president’s interest” in Wax, and noted that although it’s ultimately “the president’s call,” he’d “be very happy” to see Wax nominated for the job. 

The Daily Caller reported Wax's priorities, if nominated and confirmed a FCC commissioner.

First, Wax wants to impose the same content rules on streamers that are currently on broadcasters. Second, he wants to cut portions of the Media Bureau. Third, he wants to reindustrialize the U.S. so that “America is never again dependent on Beijing or Silicon Valley monopolies.”

Wax had taken an active role as Simington’s chief of staff, penning a number of letters with his boss. 

In May, he co-authored a letter with Simington urging “Trump to DOGE the FCC,” by cutting funding to the Universal Service Fund, downsizing the Media Bureau, and automating the FCC’s licensing process. 

In another May op-ed, he called for the FCC to cap reverse transmission fees at 30 percent in order to “limit these national behemoths’ ability to weaponize local stations as bargaining chips and ideological delivery systems.”

At 31, Wax would one of the youngest person ever confirmed to the FCC.

Trump’s current nominee to the FCC, Republican Olivia Trusty, has been awaiting confirmation since April. But Senate leadership may move forward with her nomination sooner than expected, given Simington’s early departure, in order to preserve a Republican majority.