Brendan Carr, who was appointed by Trump as the chairman of the FCC, has agreed to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding the circumstances surrounding the temporary suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel by ABC.
Carr had previously voiced his intent to investigate claims of “news distortion” against ABC affiliates unless Kimmel was removed from the air, hinting at potential consequences related to their broadcast licenses.
A representative from the Senate Commerce Committee informed Variety that a date for Carr’s testimony has not yet been established. According to a report by Semafor, the committee expects the hearing to take place in November, although this date may change. The committee anticipates the participation of the FCC’s two additional commissioners, Republican Olivia Trusty and Democratic appointee Anna Gomez.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who leads the Senate Commerce Committee, recently criticized Carr’s remarks regarding Kimmel, even likening the FCC chairman to a “mafioso,” arguing that it sets a harmful precedent for the protection of conservative free speech.
The issue arose from Kimmel’s comments on his ABC show on September 15, where he remarked that the “MAGA gang” was attempting to “characterize” the identified killer of Charlie Kirk “as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.” Following these comments, on September 17, Disney-owned ABC suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Carr indicated he would pursue action against local affiliates regarding the statement, labeling it as “some of the sickest conduct possible.”
On the podcast hosted by conservative commentator Benny Johnson, Carr stated, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Shortly thereafter, major ABC station groups, Sinclair and Nexstar, announced they would preempt Kimmel’s show, with Sinclair expressing gratitude for Carr’s comments. Following the news of Kimmel’s suspension, Carr responded with excitement, sharing a GIF from “The Office” featuring characters Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute doing a “raise the roof” gesture.
Last week, Carr played down his influence over Kimmel’s suspension, asserting that he had not threatened to revoke broadcasters’ licenses and that Nexstar and Sinclair made their decisions independently. He clarified that his statement about “the easy way or the hard way” was a theoretical scenario in reference to a potential “news distortion” complaint concerning Kimmel and ABC, claiming that Democrats had engaged in “distortion and projection” regarding his comments.
Carr explained, “What I’ve been very clear in the context of the Kimmel episode is the FCC and myself in particular have expressed no view on the ultimate merits [of a ‘news distortion’ complaint about Kimmel] had something like that been filed and what our take would be one way or the other,” during remarks on September 22 at the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit in New York.
Cruz, in his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” expressed his disapproval of Kimmel’s comments, stating he was “thrilled” by Kimmel’s suspension (though Kimmel had not been “fired”). He cautioned that Carr’s threats to broadcasters could have negative repercussions for conservatives, remarking, “There will come a time when a Democrat wins again, wins the White House. They will get rid of everything America that’s conservative. They’ll get rid of every podcast. They’ll get rid of everything. They will silence us. They will use this power and they will use it ruthlessly, and that is dangerous.”
After ABC’s announcement regarding Kimmel’s status, Gomez, the FCC’s only Democratic commissioner, argued that Carr was leveraging Kirk’s assassination as an excuse for broader censorship. She commented, “This Administration is increasingly using the weight of government power to suppress lawful expression,” adding that it was not about speech that incites violence or breaks the law but about challenging authority or expressing dissenting views. Gomez affirmed the necessity of standing against efforts to silence dissent, criticize satire, and erode personal liberties. When Disney restored Kimmel’s show, Gomez expressed relief that “Disney found its courage in the face of clear government intimidation.”
Simultaneously, last week, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-California) along with eight other senators sent a letter to Carr outlining inquiries about the Kimmel incident. They criticized Carr’s remarks as part of a “coordinated attack on the free press in American history,” connected to Trump’s media lawsuits and public broadcasting funding cuts.
“The FCC’s regulatory power over broadcast licenses was never meant to be used as a tool to silence criticism or penalize satirical expression,” Schiff and his colleagues stressed. They requested Carr disclose any communications between the FCC and ABC, Disney, or its affiliates regarding the Kimmel program, as well as any related communications with the White House.
A distinct group of senators, spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), reached out to the CEOs of Nexstar and Sinclair, inquiring about their decisions to preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, questioning whether Nexstar’s actions were linked to its ongoing $6.2 billion merger with Tegna, which requires FCC authorization.
On September 26, Sinclair and Nexstar announced the termination of their preemption of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, stating they would promptly resume airing the show on their ABC affiliates. Both companies maintained their independence from government influence in their decision-making, although they justified their initial choice to preempt the show.
