The US Senator has vigorously denounced Carr’s remarks as ‘dangerous as hell’ and likened them to the verbal tactics seen in Goodfellas.
Ted Cruz, who oversees the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), stated on Friday that FCC chair Brendan Carr’s threat to enforce regulatory actions against networks for the content of their shows poses a perilous precedent.
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On his podcast, Cruz branded Carr’s statements as “dangerous as hell,” drawing a parallel with the mob scenes from the film Goodfellas.
“It’s like a mafia enforcer walking into a bar and saying, ‘Nice place you got here, would be a shame if something were to happen to it,'” Cruz stated.
Carr had previously threatened to fine broadcasters or revoke the licenses of those who aired Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday, which led to the indefinite suspension of the late-night talk show by ABC—Disney’s network.
Numerous local TV stations affiliated with ABC also declared they would no longer broadcast the show.
This threat was a response to Jimmy Kimmel’s opening monologue on Monday, which addressed the murder of Charlie Kirk, a supporter and ally of the President, inciting fury among President Donald Trump’s followers.
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA crew desperately trying to portray this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything to score political points from it,” Kimmel had commented.
by Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old individual.
Cruz’s reprimand of Carr is rare among Trump’s party and shines a light on growing bipartisan concerns about the assaults on freedom of speech.
“We shouldn’t be using government power to intimidate him off the air,” Cruz opined on his podcast. “It could feel good right now to threaten Jimmy Kimmel, but when this method is employed to silence all conservatives in America, we will regret it,” he added.
Conversely, Trump has disagreed with Cruz, praising Carr as “an incredible American patriot with courage.”
Trump has also attacked Kimmel’s monologue on Kirk and suggested that broadcasters critical of his administration ought to lose their FCC-issued licenses.
“I’m a very strong person for free speech,” he said to journalists at the Oval Office on Friday while clarifying his earlier remarks.
He argued that broadcasters so critical of him are essentially acting as an arm of the Democratic Party, which he deemed “truly illicit.”
“That’s not free speech … That’s cheating, and they cheat,” he stated.
Prominent Democrats and civil rights groups have also denounced the Trump administration’s efforts to penalize Kimmel and networks.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer named Carr as “one of the greatest dangers to free speech America has known” and has called for his resignation or dismissal by Trump.
Democratic House members have requested the FCC Inspector General to investigate Carr’s actions and statements as well.
The future of Jimmy Kimmel Live is uncertain, with Jimmy Kimmel yet to comment publicly on his suspension.
