Ted Cruz breaks with Republicans, slams ‘mafioso’ threats to broadcasters

A prominent Republican senator has joined the Democrats in criticizing the government of the United States’ threats to Disney and local broadcasters for Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The threat by FCC chair Brendan Carr to impose regulations on networks based on the content of their shows, according to Ted Cruz, who oversees the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Carr’s comments were “dangerous as hell” and “right out of Goodfellas,” according to Cruz, who also spoke on his podcast.

“Nice bar you have here, mafioso, come in here, go,” says the mafioso. It would be unfortunate if something did,” Cruz said.

Carr had threatened to fine broadcasters or revoke Jimmy Kimmel Live’s broadcast license, leading to the suspension of the late-night talk show on ABC, which is Disney-owned.

Additionally, the show’s owners announced that they would no longer air it on dozens of ABC-affiliated local TV stations.

Carr threatened to sue the host for his opening monologue on Monday, which discussed the murder of Charlie Kirk, a friend and political ally of the president, and sparked outcry from the audience.

The MAGA gang is trying their hardest to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and they are doing everything in their power to get political points out of it, Kimmel said in reference to 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

Cruz’s criticism of Carr is a rare instance of a prominent Trump party publicly criticizing his administration, raising deeper unresolved bipartisan concerns about free speech attacks.

On his podcast, Cruz said, “We shouldn’t be threatening government authority to force him to stop.” We will regret it if we use it to silence every conservative in America, he said, despite what it might feel like at the moment.

Trump, however, said he disagreed with Cruz and called Carr “an incredible American patriot with courage.”

Trump has already criticised Kimmel’s Kirk monologue, and he also suggested on Thursday that broadcasters who oppose his administration should have their FCC-issued licenses voided.

When asked to clarify his earlier statements, he responded, “I’m a very strong person for free speech.”

He continued, though, saying that broadcasters were acting like Democrats because they were “really illegal” because of him.

He claimed that “that’s no longer free speech” and that it’s just cheating.

The Trump administration’s pressure on Kimmel and the networks that air his show has been criticized by prominent Democrats and civil rights organizations.

Carr is “one of the greatest threats to free speech that America has ever known,” according to Democrat and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer when he demanded that Trump fire him or resign.

On Friday, Democratic representatives in the House of Representatives requested an investigation into Carr’s comments and actions.