WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz says FCC chairman Brendan Carr sounded like an organized crime boss threatening the ABC network’s broadcasting licenses over comments by late night host Jimmy Kimmel.
The Texas Republican also emphasized how much he hates what Kimmel said about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk – and how much he likes and works closely with Carr.
Having high-ranking federal officials threaten a network in such a way, however, is “dangerous as hell” because it presents a slippery slope that could end with conservatives facing government censorship down the road, Cruz said.
“If the government gets in the business of saying ‘We don’t like what you the media have said, we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like,’ that will end up bad for conservatives,” Cruz said on his Friday podcast.
The Federal Communications Commission did not respond to an email and voice message requesting comment on Cruz’s criticism.
President Donald Trump also has floated the idea of revoking licenses over what he describes as overwhelmingly negative network coverage of him, prompting criticism from Democrats.
The FCC is the agency responsible for granting the licenses – and for revoking them – which is why Carr’s comments on the topic have been closely watched.
Cruz’s criticism of Carr represents some of the most pointed pushback from a Republican, one who holds a prominent position with the power to take action. Cruz is chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which is responsible for FCC oversight.
ABC this week pulled Kimmel off the air indefinitely after he talked about the man accused of assassinating Kirk, who authorities have said held a “leftist” ideology.
“We had some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said on the show.
Carr said in an interview it appeared Kimmel was playing into a narrative that Kirk’s killer was a “MAGA or Republican motivated person.” Carr highlighted the role of the FCC in granting broadcast licenses and the obligation that comes with them to operate in the public interest.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
On his podcast, Cruz played the Carr interview and then repeated the word “no” five times.
“That’s right out of Goodfellas,” Cruz said. “That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going ‘Nice bar you have here. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.’”
Trump defended Carr as a “courageous person” when asked Friday at the White House about Cruz’s criticism.
”Brendan Carr doesn’t like to see the airwaves be used illegally and incorrectly and purposely horribly,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
He reiterated complaints about negative coverage of him on network newscasts and said the broadcasters are supposed to demonstrate honesty and integrity to have a license.
“I think Brendan Carr is a great American patriot, so I disagree with Ted Cruz on that,” Trump said.
Cruz and Kimmel have a long history of sharply criticizing one another.
In 2018 they carried their political sparring onto a basketball court for a one-on-one game that benefited charity. Cruz won the game.
Cruz said Friday he’s “thrilled” Kimmel is off the air after putting out “garbage” for a long time.
He said Kimmel was lying to the American people with his Kirk remarks and those lies are not in the public interest.
Having the government policing speech, however, is a bad precedent that paves the way for Democrats to similarly go after conservative speech when they are once again in power, Cruz said.
“They will silence us,” Cruz said. “They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly, and that is dangerous.”
The FCC has authority to review significant media mergers, with an eye toward preventing any anticompetitive moves. It grants licenses to local TV stations allowing them to broadcast over the public airwaves, distributing national network content such as Kimmel’s show.
The agency can revoke a license on the basis of a “public interest” standard.
“In exchange for obtaining a valuable license to operate a broadcast station using the public airwaves, each radio and television licensee is required by law to operate its station in the ‘public interest, convenience and necessity,’” according to the FCC website. “Generally, this means it must air programming that is responsive to the needs and problems of its local community of license.”
Talk of the FCC revoking licenses over political content has sparked free speech concerns.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, has criticized the administration’s response to the Kimmel comments.
Crockett said in a news release she has introduced legislation to make clear the FCC can’t take actions to compel companies it regulates to adopt or suppress particular political viewpoints.
Crockett said her bill would prevent the FCC from leveraging its power to unlawfully censor people, which she said is a step toward authoritarianism.
“It is critical that we add these protections so Americans can freely express their opinions—without fear, without coercion, and regardless of politics,” she said.
State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, is running for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Talarico said Friday on CNN that Kimmel being taken off the air represents the worst kind of “cancel culture” in which corporate media executives sell out free speech to “curry favor with corrupt politicians.”
“I’m against cancel culture, whether it’s from the left or the right,” Talarico said.
Asked about Carr’s comments, Cornyn downplayed free speech concerns by saying the chairman has not acted to revoke licenses.
A reporter asked whether he was worried about a future Democratic administration threatening outlets over conservative speech.
“When that happens, then I’ll be happy to address it but until that time I think it’s just chatter,” Cornyn said.
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Austin, defended Carr by disputing the suggestion the FCC chairman was threatening ABC or its parent company Disney.
Roy said Carr was highlighting the fact that people could file complaints about Kimmel’s comments airing on the public airwaves and federal regulators would be the ones to adjudicate those complaints.
“The fact of the matter is, Jimmy Kimmel was crossing a line,” Roy said. “The American people saw it and they didn’t want to listen to it and Disney made a business decision saying they didn’t want to put it out.”
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