Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has caused a ruckus. It’s his latest remarks regarding ABC’s (and, by extension, the Disney family’s) suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that has everyone buzzing. Appointed by former President Donald Trump, Carr issued a warning that he could pull broadcast licenses from ABC affiliates if the network did not take action against Kimmel. This chilling statement has already faced serious backlash from a number of Republican legislators, most importantly about the dangerous abuse of government power.
That’s when things really blew up, though, after Carr went on the right-wing, pro-torture podcast hosted by Benny Johnson. During the interview, he stated, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” implying that the FCC could exert pressure on Disney to discipline Kimmel. Carr further elaborated that “these companies can find ways to change conduct to take action, frankly, on Kimmel,” underscoring his belief that ABC should respond to public discontent regarding the comedian’s remarks.
Senior Republican senator Ted Cruz of Texas decried Carr’s remarks as something straight out of a script for the mob classic “Goodfellas”. He remarked, “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’s analogy to Judge Baker’s decision shows that the concerns run deep. For Self, Carr’s comments represent a dangerous overreach of regulatory power to crush critical narratives in the press.
Rand Paul, another Republican senator, has distanced himself from Carr’s stance, declaring that Carr “has got no business weighing in on this.” Paul emphasized the importance of protecting free speech, stating, “Any attempt by the government to get involved with speech – I will fight.” He understood that Kimmel’s commentary was raising hell. He noted, unlike other public agencies, media companies such as Disney and ABC aren’t obligated to retain any particular talent.
The backlash against Carr escalated when the single worst media storm of his tenure originated from none other than president Trump Himself. He then went on to call Carr a “patriot” and deliver his scathing opinion about Kimmel’s skill. He went further and had the audacity to declare that Kimmel “was terminated due to incompetence.” Trump’s remarks reflect a broader narrative that positions him and his allies as champions of free speech while taking aim at media figures they perceive as adversaries.
Carr’s comments have undoubtedly sent shivers down the spines of many a Republican who worry that Carr is getting too big for his FCC chair britches. The idea of using regulatory power as a lever to create programming preferred by a given administration is an ethical line that can’t be crossed. Critics have long warned that such actions threaten the foundations of free speech and independent journalism.