'The dumbest idea': Commissioner O'Rielly slams White House 5G Nationalization Proposal

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly privately slammed the Trump administration’s competence over a proposal to nationalize the country’s 5G wireless network. “That is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” Commissioner O’Rielly wrote to a telecommunication attorney in a Jan 28 e-mail obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. He added: “The ability of an administration, especially this one, to carry it out is near zero.” The blunt e-mail contrasts with Commissioner O’Rielly’s public show of support for the Trump administration less than a month later at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 23. In a recent statement, Commissioner O'Rielly sought to disconnect his pro-Trump comments at CPAC from his reaction to the 5G proposal, saying the two issues are "apples and oranges." And he stood by his stance on the 5G concept. "Any plan to nationalize 5G would be a tremendous error and an executable nightmare, especially for this administration which has faced inordinate obstacles and opposition," he said.