Jimmy Kimmel Suspended: Senator Ted Cruz Slams FCC Chief as ‘Mafioso

Los Angeles, September 20, 2025

– US Senator Ted Cruz has accused the head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, of acting like a “mafioso” over the suspension of late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel. This is the strongest criticism yet from a Republican lawmaker in the ongoing controversy.

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Cruz, a Texas Republican, compared Carr’s actions to a scene from the movie *Goodfellas*. He criticized Carr’s threat to ABC, which is owned by Disney, over Kimmel’s comments about the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. “That’s dangerous as hell,” Cruz said on his podcast ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz’

He mimicked a mobster’s voice, saying Carr’s threat was like telling ABC, “Nice bar you have here, it’d be a shame if something happened to it.”

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The controversy began after Kimmel’s Monday monologue. He suggested the person charged with murdering Kirk was a supporter of the Maga Republican movement. However, Utah authorities said the suspect was influenced by “leftist ideology.” Carr, the FCC chairman, warned ABC of consequences if Kimmel remained on air. He accused Kimmel of misleading the public. On Wednesday, ABC indefinitely suspended Kimmel.

The FCC oversees broadcast licenses for networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS. These licenses must serve the public interest under US law. Carr’s threat raised concerns about government overreach. Cruz warned that regulating media speech could harm conservatives in the future. “If the government starts banning what the media says, that will end up bad for conservatives,” he said.

Kimmel has not commented publicly on his suspension. However, fellow late-night hosts Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert showed support for him on Thursday. They called his suspension a threat to free speech.

Charlie Kirk was shot dead on September 10 at an open-air event on a Utah college campus. The Senate passed a resolution on Thursday to mark October 14, Kirk’s birthday, as a day of remembrance. The US House also approved the resolution, but nearly 100 Democrats opposed it.

In a separate incident, shots were fired into an ABC10 building in Sacramento, California, on Friday afternoon. The shots came from a moving vehicle. No one was injured. Police are investigating whether it was a targeted attack. ABC10, a Nexstar affiliate, had canceled *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* this week over Kimmel’s “offensive and insensitive” remarks about Kirk.

The controversy has sparked debate about free speech and the FCC’s power. The FCC grants licenses to TV networks and can revoke them, but such actions are rare. Critics worry Carr’s threat sets a dangerous precedent.

The Kimmel suspension continues to divide opinions. It raises questions about free speech, media regulation, and political influence in the US.