Cruz warns conservatives 'will regret' FCC censorship push against ABC, other media outlets

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in his podcast "Verdict with Ted Cruz" on Friday cautioned those advocating for Federal Communication Commission (FCC) action against adversaries, noting if a censorship precedent is set, "every conservative in America … will regret it."

ABC suspended late-night host Jimmy Kimmel "indefinitely" after he said the alleged assassin of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was a fellow MAGA supporter.

Kimmel failed to set the record straight after the indictment against suspect Tyler Robinson was made public on Tuesday, prompting a response from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr, who told Fox News' Sean Hannity the agency plans to reinvigorate enforcement of the public interest obligation.

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Sen. Ted Cruz said it would be a mistake for the FCC to ramp up action against television stations. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

The FCC grants broadcast licenses on the condition that stations serve the "public interest, convenience, and necessity." 

Though the First Amendment protects free speech, the agency can revoke or deny license renewal if there is misrepresentation, fraud or lack of character or candor.

In Cruz's podcast on Friday, he questioned Carr's decision to crack down on stations accused of misrepresentation or false statements, claiming "what he said there is dangerous as hell."

"What he is saying is Jimmy Kimmel was lying. That's true, he was lying, and lying to the American people is not in the public interest," Cruz said. "He threatens explicitly—we're going to cancel ABC News' license. We're going to take him off the air, so ABC cannot broadcast anymore. … He threatens it."

Jimmy Kimmel was pulled off-air after making comments about late Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk. (Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Image)

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Cruz compared Carr's wording to something "right out of Goodfellas."

"Jimmy Kimmel has mocked me so many times," he said. "The corporate media—they are dishonest. They are liars. I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired. But let me tell you, if the government gets in the business of saying 'we don't like what you, the media, have said, we're going to ban you from the airwaves' … that will end up bad for conservatives."

He added it may be "attractive" to conservatives to feel that they have the governmental power to ban the media, but going down that road, would hurt them when a Democrat takes back the White House.

"The next Democrat FCC—they will silence us," Cruz said. "They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly, and that is dangerous. … They've defined anything counter to the leftist narrative as misinformation."

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, noted he has faced media scrutiny of his own, but said issues can be resolved in civil court. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Cruz argued that if a station commits slander related to Kirk or his family, there is already a remedy.

He suggested suing stations for defamation and "let[ting] the process play out."

"I think it is unbelievably dangerous for [the] government to put itself in the position of saying, 'We're going to decide what speech we like and what we don't, and we're going to threaten to take you off-air if we don't like what you're saying," Cruz said. "It might feel good right now to threaten Jimmy Kimmel, but when it is used to silence every conservative in America, we will regret it. 

"So again, I like Brendan Carr, but we should not be in this business. We should denounce it. It's fine to say what Jimmy Kimmel said was deplorable. It was disgraceful, and he should be off-air, but we shouldn't be threatening government power to force him off-air. That's a real mistake."

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During a news conference in the White House Oval Office on Friday, President Donald Trump said he did not agree with Cruz's assertion, describing Carr as "courageous."

"I think Brendan Carr is an incredible American patriot with courage," Trump said. "I remember in the old days, networks would want to get re-licensed, it was always a big deal. They had to show honesty and integrity. … I think Brendan Carr doesn't like to see the airwaves be used illegally and incorrectly—and purposely, horribly. [He] doesn't like to see a person that won the election in a landslide get 97% bad publicity before the election. I mean, it's amazing that I won the election … The people have given the networks no credibility."

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During the Biden administration, a nonprofit called the Media and Democracy Project filed a 2023 petition with the FCC asking that the license renewal of a Fox-owned local station in Philadelphia be denied, citing Fox’s election-related coverage.

The FCC, under then-Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, rejected the petition on Jan. 16, four days before Trump assumed office for his second term, noting it would be "fundamentally at odds with the First Amendment" for the government to deny renewals based on protected speech and content, according to court documents.

Cruz's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Fox News Digital's Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.