• Sen. Ted Cruz rebuked FCC chairman Brendan Carr for suggesting ABC could lose its license over Jimmy Kimmel’s false comments about Charlie Kirk’s killer.
• Cruz celebrated Kimmel’s suspension but warned that government threats to broadcasters are “dangerous as hell.”
• The clash reveals conservative divisions over how to hold mainstream media accountable without empowering censorship.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) delivered a blistering critique of Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, on his Verdict podcast Thursday. While Cruz applauded ABC’s suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, he denounced Carr’s suggestion that broadcasters could face license consequences for carrying Kimmel’s remarks, calling the rhetoric “dangerous as hell.”

Carr’s Threat to ABC

The controversy erupted after Carr told reporters Wednesday that ABC and its parent companies could face FCC scrutiny after Kimmel falsely suggested that Tyler Robinson, the man accused of murdering conservative activist Charlie Kirk, was a “MAGA gang member.”

“Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can change conduct, take action on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Hours later, media giant Nexstar announced it would pull Kimmel’s show “for the foreseeable future,” and ABC moved to suspend the program indefinitely.

Cruz’s Rebuke

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On his podcast, Cruz began by celebrating Kimmel’s suspension, remarking that the comedian had been “putting out garbage for a long, long time.” But he pivoted quickly, blasting Carr’s language as reckless.

“No, no, no, no, no,” Cruz said after playing a clip of Carr. “I like Brendan Carr. He’s a good guy. But what he said there is dangerous as hell.”

Cruz warned that the FCC’s statutory authority over broadcast licenses should not be twisted into a political weapon. “Threatening to revoke ABC’s license because of a segment you don’t like is right out of Goodfellas,” he said. “It’s like a mafioso saying, ‘Nice bar you have here. Shame if something happened to it.’”

Government Power and Conservative Risk

The senator emphasized that while he despises Kimmel’s attacks — noting the comedian has mocked him repeatedly — conservatives cannot allow the government to become an arbiter of acceptable speech.

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“If we go down this road, it will be used against us,” Cruz said. “When a Democrat wins the White House, the next FCC will use that power ruthlessly to silence conservatives. That’s the ring of power — attractive at first, but ultimately corrupting.”

He pointed to past efforts by Democrats to challenge Fox News’s license, citing how critics labeled conservative programming as “hate speech” or “misinformation.” If Carr’s precedent stands, Cruz argued, nothing would stop a future Democratic administration from banning Fox or other right-leaning outlets from the airwaves.

Defamation as the Remedy

Cruz acknowledged that Kimmel’s remarks about Robinson were false and defamatory. But he stressed that the legal system already provides remedies.

“If they slandered Charlie Kirk and his family, sue them,” Cruz said. “A defamation lawsuit can cost millions. That’s the lawful remedy. Not federal bureaucrats deciding what we can watch or hear.”

He urged conservatives to resist the temptation of wielding government authority for short-term victories. “It might feel good to threaten Jimmy Kimmel today. But when that same tool is used to silence every conservative voice tomorrow, we’ll regret it.”

Broader Implications for Media Freedom

The episode has exposed a fissure inside the conservative movement. Some voices cheered Carr’s toughness, arguing the mainstream media must be held accountable for spreading lies. Others echoed Cruz’s warning that government intervention is a perilous path.

Civil liberties advocates across the spectrum agreed with Cruz, cautioning that licensing threats represent a direct challenge to First Amendment protections. Legal experts noted that FCC authority over broadcast licenses is narrow and historically focused on technical and public interest standards, not content policing.

For Cruz, the principle is clear: “Say what you will about Jimmy Kimmel — I’m thrilled he’s off the air. But it is not the government’s job to decide who stays on television.”

If conservatives embrace government censorship in the name of fighting media bias, are they building the very weapon that will one day be turned against them?

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