Los Angeles/Washington, September 20 (HS): US Senator Ted Cruz sharply criticized the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman on Friday, likening his conduct in the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel to that of a “mafioso.”
Cruz said FCC chair Brendan Carr’s warning to ABC over Kimmel’s controversial monologue about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk was “dangerous as hell” and reminiscent of intimidation scenes from the film Goodfellas. Speaking on his podcast, Cruz said, “That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar, saying nice bar you have here, shame if something happened to it.”
The Texas Republican clarified that while he disagreed strongly with Kimmel’s comments and was “thrilled he was fired,” he found Carr’s threat to revoke ABC’s broadcast licence unacceptable, warning such government intervention could ultimately harm conservatives as well as liberals.
Kimmel was suspended by ABC after suggesting in his monologue that Kirk’s alleged assailant was a MAGA supporter. Utah officials, however, have said the suspect was linked to far-left ideology. The FCC accused Kimmel of misleading viewers, sparking ABC’s decision to pull him off air indefinitely.
President Donald Trump defended Carr in the Oval Office, publicly rejecting Cruz’s criticism. Yet Cruz’s remarks drew support from fellow Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who called Carr’s comments “unacceptable,” and from Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, who cautioned against eroding free expression, reminding colleagues that defending free speech is a conservative principle.
Kimmel’s suspension has widened political divides, with some Republicans framing it as accountability and others warning of creeping government censorship. His late-night peers — Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Jimmy Fallon — have publicly rallied behind him, denouncing what they describe as blatant attacks on media independence.
Meanwhile, Congress paid tribute to Kirk by passing resolutions to mark his birthday on October 14 as a day of remembrance, though nearly 100 House Democrats voted against it.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
