FCC Commissioner O'Rielly says President Trump is “rightfully venting” anger at the press

Commissioner Michael O'Rielly of the Federal Communications Commission has now said that "politics" should not interfere with FCC decision-making, and that the agency should remain independent. Still, O'Rielly defended President Donald Trump's attacks on the media, saying the president has been treated poorly by journalists.

Commissioner O'Rielly was asked about President Trump's tweets during an appearance at a conference on spectrum management on Oct 13. "I'm pretty consistent on licensing and would not want politics to influence our decision-making," O'Rielly said. "I believe in the independence of the agency." But O'Rielly also said that Trump is "rightfully venting" about the media. "I think that the president is rightfully venting his experiences and disappointment with how the coverage has been occurring regarding his administration. I've been surprised how vitriolic that the coverage has been," O'Rielly said. "I think that President Clinton got better coverage during the middle of impeachment than President Trump is getting these days."