FCC Chairman Brendan Carr will testify before the Senate Commerce Committee following Disney's decision to temporarily suspend talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The testimony was arranged after discussions with Committee Chair Ted Cruz, with a hearing expected after November, though no date is set, the source said anonymously, as the plans are not yet public. Semafor first reported the news.
The move follows Carr’s threats to revoke licenses from Disney and local broadcasters airing Kimmel’s show, after controversial remarks Kimmel made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Carr criticized the remarks and urged broadcasters to halt "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on Disney-owned ABC, stating, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” and warning of “additional work for the FCC” if no action was taken.
Cruz condemned Carr’s remarks as “dangerous as hell,” likening them to a scene from Goodfellas where a mobster threatens a business. Cruz warned that such tactics could be used against conservative media by a future Democratic administration. Carr responded, denying any intent to weaponize government power, saying, “We don’t want to see weaponization of government by any administration against any perspective.”