A joint statement from Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives is putting the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission on blast, accusing him of being “corrupt” for helping force late-night host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel off the air in what they describe as an assault on free speech.
On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened to “take action” against television stations that air Kimmel’s late-night program following a segment about the alleged killer of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Kimmel suggested the suspect was “one of them,” referring to MAGA, and lambasted President Donald Trump for appearing to move on quickly from Kirk’s death to discuss the new White House ballroom. Authorities have not yet identified a motive for the killing.
Shortly after Carr’s threats, Kimmel’s show was pulled off the air and suspended “indefinitely” by ABC and Nexstar Media Group. Trump, who has repeatedly called for Kimmel’s firing, said the development was “great news for America.”
But House Democrats, led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have described the chain of events as an affront to the First Amendment, calling Thursday for Carr to resign “immediately” and accusing media companies of “cowardice” for capitulating to his demands.
“Brendan Carr, the so-called Chair of the [FCC], has engaged in the corrupt abuse of power,” the statement opened. “He has disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the administration.”
The statement went on to accuse Trump and the GOP of waging a “war on the First Amendment.”
“Media companies, such as the one that suspended Mr. Kimmel, have a lot to explain,” the statement said. “The censoring of artists and the cancellation of shows is an act of cowardice. It may also be part of a corrupt pay-to-play-scheme.”
“This will not be forgotten,” the statement concluded.
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Former President Barack Obama joined congressional Democrats in their blistering criticism, charging the Trump administration with silencing speech “it doesn’t like.”
“After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level by routinely threatening regulatory action against media companies unless they muzzle or fire reporters and commentators it doesn’t like,” Obama wrote in a post on social media.
Kimmel’s firing comes after CBS announced in July that fellow late-night host Stephen Colbert would be taken off the air. Colbert, host of “The Late Show” and a frequent Trump critic, was ousted in the midst of a massive merger involving CBS’s parent company that required approval from the Trump administration.
