Senator Ted Cruz has criticized FCC head Brendan Carr’s warnings to ABC as “dangerous,” comparing them to “mafioso” tactics.
In a departure from some fellow Republicans, Senator Ted Cruz has condemned what he describes as “mafioso”-like threats from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) targeting broadcasters over Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.
ABC suspended Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely on Wednesday, citing his “offensive and insensitive” remarks concerning the recent assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk.
Prior to the suspension, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated on ‘The Benny Show’ that broadcasters needed to “take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” suggesting either an “easy way or the hard way.”
Cruz likened Carr’s approach to something “right out of” the movie Goodfellas.
Speaking on his ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz’ podcast on Friday, he said Carr’s statement was like “a mafioso coming into a bar going, ‘Nice bar you have here. It would be a shame if something happened to it’.”
He described Carr’s statement as “dangerous as hell,” arguing that such threats could create a “slippery slope” of government overreach, potentially harming Republicans when a Democrat next occupies the White House.
President Donald Trump, however, has expressed support for Carr’s position.
He told reporters on Friday that certain US networks could face license revocation, although the FCC has the final say. Trump praised Carr’s leadership, saying he has been “doing a great job.”
Trump has a history of conflict with major US media outlets like CNN, NBC, and CBS, accusing them of “fake news” and advocating for their licenses to be revoked due to alleged political bias.
In July, CBS parent company Paramount reportedly agreed to pay Trump $16 million to settle his lawsuit concerning the editing of Democrat Kamala Harris’ ‘60 Minutes’ interview during the 2024 elections.