Esther Imonmion
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has sharply criticized the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, calling the regulator’s actions
“dangerous as hell” and comparing them to a mobster threat.
Cruz, a Texas Republican, made the remarks on his podcast Verdict with Ted Cruz on Friday, referring to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s warning to ABC over Kimmel’s monologue about slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. “That’s right out of Goodfellas,” Cruz said, adopting a mobster accent to illustrate his point.
Kimmel was indefinitely suspended on Wednesday after suggesting during his Sept. 15 monologue that the alleged gunman who killed Kirk was a MAGA Republican, although Utah authorities said the suspect was “indoctrinated with leftist ideology.” Before ABC suspended Kimmel, Carr warned the network of consequences, saying the host “appeared to directly mislead the American public” in his remarks.
Cruz emphasized that while he opposed Kimmel’s comments and was “thrilled that he was fired,” Carr’s approach was alarming. “So he threatens, explicitly, we’re going to cancel ABC’s license…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,” Cruz said.
Other Republicans in Congress have been more measured. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis called Carr’s actions “just unacceptable behavior,” while Senators Jerry Moran of Kansas and Mike Rounds of South Dakota urged caution, framing it as a free speech or employer-employee issue.
President Donald Trump defended Carr on Friday, saying he disagreed with Cruz’s criticism, despite Cruz being one of his usual allies.
Kimmel’s colleagues, including Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert, expressed solidarity with the suspended host.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot on Sept. 10 during an open-air event at a Utah college campus. On Thursday, the Senate passed a resolution designating Oct. 14 – Kirk’s birthday – as a day of remembrance, a measure approved by the House despite opposition from nearly 100 Democrats.
Meanwhile, on Sept. 19, police in Sacramento, California, reported that three shots were fired into an ABC10 building from a moving vehicle; no injuries were reported. ABC10 is a Nexstar-operated affiliate, one of several networks that canceled Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, citing “offensive and insensitive” comments about Kirk.