Ted Cruz Bashes Trump Administration for Going After Jimmy Kimmel
Rolling Stone • • nation
Key Points:
- Texas Senator Ted Cruz has defended Jimmy Kimmel against the Trump administration's attempts to pressure Disney and ABC News into firing the late-night host over a controversial joke about Melania Trump.
- Cruz criticized the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) move to demand ABC file for license renewals, stating that it is not the government's role to censor speech and that the FCC should not act as "speech police."
- The conflict escalated after Kimmel made a joke about Melania Trump during a parody roast, which the Trumps claimed encouraged violence and demanded Kimmel's removal from the air.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr has threatened punitive actions against ABC, including accelerating license renewal reviews, as part of an ideologically motivated probe possibly aimed at punishing Disney for keeping Kimmel on air.
- Disney responded by affirming its compliance with FCC rules and expressed confidence in maintaining its broadcast licenses, emphasizing its commitment to serving local communities with trusted programming.
