Texas Senator Ted Cruz suggested that Jimmy Kimmel should not face legal repercussions from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for criticizing President Donald Trump.
“It is not [the] government’s job to censor speech, and I do not believe the FCC should operate as the speech police,” Cruz, 55, told Punchbowl News in an interview posted on Thursday, April 30.
Earlier this week, FCC chairman Brendan Carr faced scrutiny for starting an early review of ABC’s broadcast licenses for eight stations at the same time as Trump, 79, called on the network to fire Kimmel, 58. Carr, 47, told reporters following an open meeting of the FCC on Thursday that he faced no pressure from the White House to investigate ABC.
(Carr has insisted that the FCC’s review of ABC’s broadcast licenses is due to Disney’s diversity employment policies, which may have violated federal law.)
Jimmy Kimmel caused controversy after quipping that first lady Melania Trump has a “glow like an expectant widow” days before the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. On the Thursday, April 23, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel made the widow joke, which has not aged well after shots were fired during the event on Saturday, […]
“This was a decision we made inside this building [the FCC headquarters] based on where we were in the enforcement matter,” Carr insisted. “There was no pressure from the outside. There was no suggestion from the outside. There was no call for agency action from the outside. This is where we were.”
He went on, “In respect to President Trump, obviously he has every right [under the] First Amendment to express his position on this. One of the great things about President Trump is that he’s very transparent. He’s [said] publicly his position.”
Carr suggested that there are “a lot of people out there that agree” with Donald and first lady Melania Trump’s calls for ABC to fire the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host.
When Carr was asked whether Kimmel’s conduct could impact ABC’s license review, the FCC chairman said that Disney is “going to have to come in and demonstrate that they’ve been operating in the public interest.”
A reporter also brought up Cruz’s criticism of the FCC, to which Carr replied, “I agree with Senator Cruz that the FCC shouldn’t be in the business of being the ‘speech police.’ What we have to do as an agency is to enforce our rules and regulations, and there are rules about nondiscrimination that are unrelated to speech that we have been pushing across the board. And that’s the basis for the early renewal in the Disney case.”
The Trumps took issue with a joke that Kimmel made on air on April 23 in a White House Correspondents’ Dinner-style roast, where he suggested Melania had a “glow like an expectant widow.”
Two days later, a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington D.C. on Saturday, April 25, with the Trumps and other administration officials in attendance. The Trumps, Vice President JD Vance and others were evacuated safely.
(Suspected shooter Cole Tomas Allen has been charged with one count of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, per the Justice Department.)
Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Courtesy YouTube / ABC
On Monday, April 27, Melania released a statement accusing Kimmel’s “expectant widow“ joke of being “hateful and violent rhetoric” that “is intended to divide our country.” Donald directly called for Kimmel’s firing by ABC later that same day.
“Wow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his show that is really shocking,” the president complained via his Truth Social on Monday. “He showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren’t, and never would be. He then stated, ‘Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.’”
The politician went on, “A day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel’s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
On Monday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! episode, Kimmel clarified that his joke was about the Trumps’ 24-year-gap, not a “a call to assassination.”
“[The Trumps] know that,” he insisted. “I’ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence, but I understand that the first lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house.”
A White House official is standing by Donald Trump’s side amid the president’s feud with Jimmy Kimmel. “Jimmy Kimmel is a s*** human being for: #1. Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the President,” assistant to the president and White House director of communications Steven Cheung wrote via X on Tuesday, April 28. “#2. Doubling […]
Kimmel has been defended by many across the political spectrum — including conservative commentator Candace Owens and frequent Trump administration critic George Clooney — and the host himself pointed out that Donald made a joke about his old age during King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s state visit on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, the president renewed calls for Kimmel to be fired on Thursday with a ranting Truth Social post.
“When is ABC Fake News Network firing seriously unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, who incompetently presides over one of the Lowest Rated shows on Television?” he asked. “People are angry. It better be soon!!!”
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on ABC weeknights.
