Democrats want FCC Chair fired for threatening ABC, Trump says Brendan Carr should revoke more TV licenses | World News
The fallout of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) suspending comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show for his comments on Charlie Kirk’s murder has turned into a full-on political confrontation. ABC, which is owned Disney, pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live off air indefinitely after a complaint Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr.
Carr, who was appointed Donald Trump earlier this year, said Kimmel’s comments were “truly sick” and that ABC had violated its “public interest” broadcast obligations.
Jimmy Kimmel appears at the Disney/ABC/Freeform 2018 Upfront Party. (Photo: AP/ File)
Political battel over Kimmel’s suspension
Politicians on both sides have spoken in support and against Carr’s threat. While Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal called Kimmel’s suspension a censorship that could “spread like cancer” and urged on networks “to be standing up and showing some backbone”, North Dakota Republican Senator Kevin Cramer was of the opinion that “If that’s what scares off ABC, maybe they need a little bit of a scare.”
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‘Carr should resign or be fired’
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for the resignation of Carr or for Trump to fire him following his threat to ABC.
“What Brendan Carr is doing is despicable, Schumer said in a video posted on X. “What he did to Jimmy Kimmel, he is doing to person after person, network after network, intimidating them and threatening them. He is one of the greatest threats to free speech America has ever seen. He should resign immediately; Trump should fire him.”
Brendan Carr at Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee hearing to examine the Federal Communications Commission. (Photo: AP)
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and top members of his caucus also echoed similar sentiments and said in a statement that Carr has “disgraced the office he holds bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump adminration.”
Oversight Committee to subpoena Carr
On Thursday, the GOP-led House Oversight Committee tabled a motion from Democrat Ro Khanna to subpoena the FCC Chair in the wake of Carr’s threat to take action against Kimmel. The panel voted 24-21 to table Khanna’s motion.Story continues below this ad
Trump supports Carr
Meanwhile, Trump, who has celebrated ABC pulling Kimmel off the air, seems to be backing Carr, who, according to the US President, “is a patriot.”
According to Trump, Kimmel said “a horrible thing” about Charlie Kirk and suggested that ABC fired the comedian due to “bad ratings.”
Trump also suggested that Carr should take action against more TV channels critical of him.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One that “97%” of some network coverage was negative toward him.
“They give me only bad publicity or press,” Trump said. “They’re getting a license, I think maybe their license should be taken away. It’s up to Brendan Carr.”
