Cruz Sounds Alarm on FCC’s Kimmel Crackdown
Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to FBI Director Kash Patel in a Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Several prominent Republican figures and right-leaning media outlets are speaking out against FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s push to pressure ABC into taking Jimmy Kimmel Live off the air.
Editorial boards at conservative outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and The Free Press have criticized Carr’s stance, warning it could set a dangerous precedent for free speech.
Senator Ted Cruz has been especially vocal, warning that such tactics could ultimately backfire on conservatives. “It might feel good right now to threaten Jimmy Kimmel,” Cruz said on his Verdict podcast on Friday. “But when it is used to silence every conservative in America, we will regret it.”
According to the BBC, most Republican lawmakers have backed Carr’s broader criticisms of the show, but some are now distancing themselves from the aggressive approach. Senator Thom Tillis agreed with Cruz, telling reporters the Texas senator was “absolutely right.”
Senator Jerry Moran echoed the concern, telling Politico: “The conservative position is free speech is free speech, and we better be very careful about any lines we cross in diminishing free speech.”
On his podcast, Cruz played a clip of Carr suggesting that local affiliates could risk their licenses if they didn’t push ABC to cancel the show. Cruz slammed the comments as authoritarian. “That’s right out of Goodfellas,” he said. “That’s like a mafioso coming into a bar and saying, ‘Nice bar you’ve got here. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.’”
About Post Author
