U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has sharply criticized Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Brendan Carr, accusing him of acting “like a mafioso” in the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel—marking the most forceful Republican rebuke yet in the growing controversy.
Cruz, a Texas Republican, said Carr’s threat to Disney-owned ABC over Kimmel’s monologue about slain conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was “dangerous as hell.” On his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast Friday, he stressed that while he was “thrilled” ABC removed Kimmel and disliked the comedian’s remarks, Carr’s warning crossed a line.
“He threatens, explicitly, ‘We’re going to cancel ABC’s license… we can do this the easy way or the hard way,’” Cruz said, adopting a mobster voice. “That’s right out of Goodfellas. That’s right out of a mafioso walking into a bar saying, ‘Nice place you have—shame if something happened to it.’”
The dispute began after Kimmel, during Monday’s broadcast, appeared to suggest that the gunman accused of killing Kirk was a Maga Republican, despite Utah authorities stating the suspect was “indoctrinated with leftist ideology.” Before ABC suspended Kimmel on Wednesday, Carr warned that allowing him to remain on air could have consequences, citing the FCC’s authority over broadcast licenses.
While some Republicans have been restrained in their comments, Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina called Carr’s actions “just unacceptable,” while Kansas Senator Jerry Moran cautioned that conservatives “better be very careful about any lines we cross in diminishing free speech.” South Dakota Senator Mike Rounds framed the matter as an “employer-employee issue.”
President Donald Trump, speaking in the Oval Office on Friday, sided with Carr and rejected Cruz’s criticism—an unusual split between the two close allies.
Kimmel has not commented publicly, though fellow late-night hosts Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert expressed support for him Thursday.
The debate unfolds amid heightened tensions after Kirk’s fatal shooting on September 10 at a Utah college event. Congress has since designated October 14, Kirk’s birthday, as a day of remembrance, though nearly 100 House Democrats opposed the resolution.
Separately, in Sacramento, California, three shots were fired Friday afternoon into a window at ABC10’s building, an affiliate that recently pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! from its lineup over the host’s comments. No injuries were reported, and police are investigating whether the incident was targeted or accidental.
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