FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is set to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee following a dispute involving television host Jimmy Kimmel and the Trump administration.
This development comes after Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) expressed support for Kimmel over Carr's actions. Carr, along with two other FCC commissioners, will testify in November, though the exact date remains undecided.
According to Breitbart, Carr's decision to testify follows criticism from Cruz regarding Carr's stance against Disney and ABC over Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk's alleged assassin being "MAGA."
Cruz likened Carr's actions to "mafia-like tactics," stating on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, "And Ive got to say, thats right out of Goodfellas. Thats right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, Nice bar you have here, itd be a shame if something happened to it.'"
While Cruz and other Democrats have targeted Carr, President Donald Trump has voiced his support for the FCC Chairman. "I think Brendan Carr is a great American patriot. So I disagree with Ted Cruz on that," the President remarked in September.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) echoed Cruz's sentiments, emphasizing the importance of the First Amendment. "Well, my colleague, Ted Cruz, said it looked just like Goodfellas. As a First Amendment guy, myself, I think hes probably got it right. You dont have to like what somebody says on TV to agree that the government shouldnt be getting involved here," McConnell stated.
Carr has accused Democrats of "projection and distortion," arguing that the Biden administration and Congress have pressured the FCC to censor certain television networks and "everyday Americans." He asserted, "I think those claims have as much factual basis as were seeing right now with Jimmy Kimmel."
This ongoing debate underscores the tension between government oversight and free speech, a critical issue in today's political landscape.
Login