No doubt every one of you has seen the allegation that Senator Ted Cruz leveled a few days ago against Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai Carr. He accused Carr of threatening to pull ABC’s broadcast license over remarks by late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. And Cruz, to his credit, recently made that case on his own podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz.” He likened Carr’s supposed deeds to scenes by mob characters from Golden Era films like Marlon Brando in The Godfather.
The backlash started after Kimmel called the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk “fantastic.” Cruz claimed that Carr’s threat was made in a way similar to the classic mob movie “Goodfellas.” The senator quoted Carr as saying, “We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way,” suggesting an intimidation tactic commonly associated with organized crime.
Cruz, a favorite target of Kimmel’s, said he was “thrilled” by the comedian’s temporary ban from the ABC airwaves. He described Carr’s alleged statement as a veiled threat, likening it to a mafioso warning: “Nice bar you have here, it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”
Though Cruz clearly loathes Kimmel, what Cruz should have emphasized was the even wider consequences of Carr’s alleged menace. He brought to light the way that intimidation dampens free speech and broadcasting. He called this type of misconduct unacceptable and intolerable in our democratic society. Cruz underscored the value of public figures speaking their minds without reservation. They shouldn’t have to be afraid of revenge from the big guys.
Describing the incident in another statement, Kimmel decried the injustice. He leveled a growing fear of what he terms “the MAGA gang” trying to change the narrative about Kirk’s death. He implied that they were just waiting in the wings to politicize the tragedy so they could use it to disarm Americans.
Tensions continue to escalate between Cruz and Kimmel. Unfortunately, the allegations against Carr underscore the troubling state of political commentary and media freedom in today’s America. As discussions about censorship and accountability in broadcasting continue to escalate, Cruz’s assertions may provoke further scrutiny of the FCC’s role in regulating content.