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WASHINGTON, — Congressional leaders are demanding the resignation of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr after he pressured Walt Disney and ABC affiliates to stop airing Jimmy Kimmel Live following comments the late-night host made about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
House leaders, including Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, said Carr had “disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump administration.”
The controversy follows earlier efforts in March, when lawmakers sought documents from Carr as part of a probe into what they called “sham” investigations targeting media outlets including CBS, NBC, and ABC. Critics said the goal was to intimidate news organizations.
On Wednesday, Carr publicly urged local broadcasters to stop carrying Kimmel’s show. He warned that stations risked fines or even the loss of their licenses if the FCC determined there was a “pattern of distorted comments” in violation of the public interest standard.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said in a podcast interview.
His remarks were widely condemned in Congress. “Disney needs to see some change here, but the individual licensed stations that are taking their content — it’s time for them to step up and say this garbage isn’t something that serves the needs of our local communities,” one lawmaker said.
Shortly after Carr’s statements, Nexstar Media Group announced it would stop airing Kimmel on its 32 ABC affiliates, citing the controversy. Nexstar, which is awaiting FCC approval for a $6.2 billion acquisition of rival Tegna, was praised by Carr for “doing the right thing.”
Legal experts note that while the FCC must review whether license renewals serve the public interest, courts have long held that a station’s exercise of free speech is not grounds to deny a license. The commission itself has repeatedly stated that “the public interest is best served by permitting free expression of views.”
Carr has not responded to requests for comment.
