By Gloria Ogbonna
An opinion piece written by former Trump administration official Diana Furchtgott-Roth was removed from National Review after criticism emerged over an apparent failure to disclose potential financial conflicts of interest.
Furchtgott-Roth, who served during President Donald Trump’s first term as deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Transportation (DOT), previously played a key role in shaping federal policy surrounding GPS backup systems and Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technologies — systems considered critical to national security and infrastructure resilience.
Her Role in GPS Backup Policy
While at the DOT, Furchtgott-Roth oversaw a 2021 report evaluating alternatives and complements to the Global Positioning System (GPS). The study examined eleven different PNT systems across fourteen performance metrics in an effort to determine which technologies could provide reliable backup capabilities in the event of GPS disruption.
The report concluded that although multiple vendors demonstrated some valuable PNT performance, only one company — NextNav — successfully met performance standards across all applicable use-case scenarios.
At the time, Furchtgott-Roth praised the findings, emphasizing that the research demonstrated the existence of “suitable, mature, and commercially available technologies” capable of backing up or complementing GPS timing services.
Her work aligned with a broader national security initiative championed by Trump. In a 2020 executive order, Trump warned that disruption or manipulation of PNT services could severely impact the nation’s economic and national security. The order directed the federal government to strengthen resilience by promoting responsible use and protection of these services, especially among critical infrastructure operators.
A Changed Position
Years later, Furchtgott-Roth’s stance appeared to shift.
On April 28, National Review published an op-ed authored by her criticizing NextNav’s petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The proposal sought to modernize and reconfigure NextNav’s licenses in the 900 MHz spectrum band to enhance its GPS backup and complementary services.
In the article, Furchtgott-Roth portrayed the proposal as potentially harmful, characterizing it as a “giveaway” connected to foreign interests, including entities based in the United Arab Emirates via the American investment firm Fortress Investment Group. She warned that NextNav’s spectrum reconfiguration could cause widespread disruption to American consumers and interfere with devices operating in that band.
Her op-ed also appeared to downplay the urgency of allocating new spectrum for GPS backup services — despite her previous emphasis on the vulnerability of GPS systems while at the DOT.
Tern AI and Potential Conflict Concerns
Complicating matters further, Furchtgott-Roth now serves on the advisory board of Tern AI, a company operating in the GPS backup space and effectively competing in the same technological arena.
Notably, Tern AI petitioned the FCC in October of last year, urging regulators not to approve NextNav’s proposal. That connection raised concerns about whether Furchtgott-Roth had a financial interest in opposing the FCC petition — something that was not disclosed in her National Review article.
Questions Over Cited Research
Additional scrutiny focused on the sources cited in her op-ed.
Furchtgott-Roth referenced testing and analysis conducted by Plum Consulting and Neology to support claims that NextNav’s proposal could “disrupt or displace” other unlicensed devices in the 900 MHz band. However, critics pointed out that she did not disclose that the referenced reports were funded, at least in part, by clients of her husband, Harold Furchtgott-Roth — a former FCC commissioner who now works as a consultant.
Among the cited materials were:
- A February 2026 report partially underwritten by the RAIN Alliance.
- An April 2025 report examining NextNav’s proposal that was partially funded by the E-ZPass Group, the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association, and Neology, Inc., with a disclaimer stating that the opinions expressed were solely those of the author.
The lack of disclosure regarding these financial ties fueled criticism that readers were not given full transparency about potential conflicts influencing the article’s arguments.
Article Removed Amid Backlash
Amid mounting backlash, National Review removed the article from its website. The link to the piece now indicates that it was taken down at the request of the author.
The episode has intensified debate over ethics and disclosure standards in opinion journalism, particularly when former government officials write about industries in which they may now have advisory or financial roles.
It also highlights the high stakes surrounding GPS backup and PNT technologies — an issue that remains central to U.S. infrastructure resilience, spectrum allocation battles, and national security policy.
Source Breitbart
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