Pai Jokes About Dish, Giuliani, Fellow Commissioners at Chairman's Dinner
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai pretended to be butt-dialed by ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), made fun of Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel’s fondness for the word “ruckus,” and called 5G the “most overrated G since Kenny,” at the FCBA Chairman’s Dinner…
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Tuesday evening. Walking out with a grocery bag in imitation of viral footage of GOP impeachment attorney Steve Castor, Pai opened the speech by loudly applying lip balm and laboriously filling his notoriously oversized Reese's coffee cup with water. Comparing the event to the impeachment hearings by calling it a “cult-like ritual in a Washington, D.C., basement,” Pai said FCBA event attendees were served steak, fish and salad, but deep Dish (Network) “can emerge as a viable fourth competitor”-- a reference to T-Mobile's plans to buy Sprint and make divestitures to that company. That deal is in court (see 1912110036). “If you haters think that joke is bad, buckle up, cuz it gets a lot worse!,” Pai told the crowd. FCBA said the event had 1,600 attendees. Pai said T-Mobile CEO John Legere is going to head the Wireless Bureau and hold staff meetings at the Trump International Hotel, and pretended the call from “Giuliani” couldn’t be connected because it was using Dish’s network. Dish Chairman “Charlie [Ergen] told me that would be up and running by now,” he said. Pai pointed out that former Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Robert McDowell had both advocated for T-Mobile/Sprint. Clyburn argued that the deal would help address the digital divide, Pai said. "Rob thought it would get him quoted again in Comm Daily and TR Daily." Pai said the auto industry uses the 5.9 GHz spectrum the same way he “uses” his home treadmill as a laundry hanger, said Commissioner Brendan Carr wins awards only when Pai has a scheduling conflict, and imitated President Donald Trump by showing a picture of his own head photo-edited onto the body of movie boxer Rocky Balboa. Commissioners vote on a 5.9 GHz proposal Thursday (see 1912110056). Many of Pai’s jokes referenced Twitter memes, and he proclaimed that his proudest moments as FCC chair were a pair of his tweets riffing on the apparent on-air flatulence of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif. Pai also expressed interest in rumors about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo running for the Senate in Kansas and pretended to be dismissive of Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg while also pointing out their similarities. Buttigieg is a Harvard educated “super-nerd” who pretends to be a “folksy” everyman “from the heartland,” Pai said. “I don’t buy it, and you should not buy it, either,” he said.