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On the surface, ABC’s decision to “indefinitely” pull late-night host Jimmy Kimmel from the air might seem like a story about a private company punishing an employee, but to deny the existence of government pressure is to overlook the relevant details.
To recap, After Donald Trump spent months targeting Kimmel, the president’s Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, appeared on a far-right podcast and referenced his agency’s role in granting broadcast licenses. Referring specifically to Kimmel’s monologue, Carr added, “When we see stuff like this, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
It was around that point when Nexstar Media Group — which owns television stations nationwide and wants the FCC’s approval on a multibillion-dollar merger effort — announced that it would stop airing Kimmel’s show. ABC acted soon after, prompting Carr to celebrate and take some victory laps.
A tiny number of congressional Republicans have acknowledged a simple truth: Carr went too far. On NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” for example, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky conceded that the FCC chair’s threats were “absolutely inappropriate.”
Two days earlier, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas went even further, describing Carr’s threats as reminiscent of organized crime. The New York Times reported:
‘He says, “We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.’’’ Mr. Cruz said on his podcast ‘Verdict with Ted Cruz,’ quoting Mr. Carr verbatim. ‘And I’ve got to say, that’s right out of Goodfellas. That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, “Nice bar you have here, it’d be a shame if something happened to it.’’’ He went on to warn that a crackdown on speech on the left by the Trump administration would come back to bite conservatives the next time Democrats hold the White House.
The senator’s comments were not entirely one sided — Cruz also criticized Kimmel and praised Carr as “a good guy” — but he nevertheless concluded that the FCC chair’s threats were “dangerous as hell.”
Cruz’s comments are certainly a welcome contribution to the public conversation, but there’s no reason that his first step should be his last. NBC News reported:
Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee are demanding an oversight hearing with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr in a new letter to Committee Chairman Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. ‘As the Committee with jurisdiction over the FCC, it is our constitutional duty to conduct oversight over this matter and demand Chairman Carr answer for this unprecedented attack on the First Amendment,’ wrote Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
In a direct appeal to Cruz, they added, “You have long prioritized conducting oversight to ensure our government is not being used to weaponize the censorship of speech. At a time when free speech is under threat, this hearing could not be more important for the American people. We look forward to working with you on this hearing with Chairman Carr and upholding our duty to conduct robust oversight over the FCC.”
Cruz is in a unique position: The Senate Commerce Committee, which he leads, has jurisdiction and oversight responsibilities over the FCC. Indeed, this was the panel that advanced Carr’s nomination in the first place, because it’s tasked with, among other things, addressing media and communications issues.
If any Senate committee were going to ask questions about Carr’s threats and the commission’s role in pressuring media outlets, it’s the panel Cruz chairs.
So the question for the GOP senator is obvious: If the FCC’s recent moves are “dangerous” and Carr sounds like an organized crime boss, is the Senate Commerce Committee prepared to take the matter seriously — or is Cruz content to wring his hands on a podcast before moving on?