Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension Leads to Unlikely Congressional Probe

On September 17, fans were stunned to learn that Jimmy Kimmel and his Emmy-winning show had been suspended indefinitely by Disney and ABC. The decision came after ABC’s two largest affiliate groups—NexStar Media and Sinclair Broadcasting—refused to air Jimmy Kimmel Live! on nearly 70 local stations, following controversial remarks Kimmel made about Donald Trump and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The backlash against Disney was swift. Protests erupted outside the company’s Burbank studios, its stock took a hit, and nearly 2 million Disney+ subscribers reportedly canceled their memberships.

Related: Jimmy Kimmel Reveals What Led to His Sudden Suspension and Return to TV

Just five days later, however, Disney and ABC announced they had reached a resolution, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! returned to the air the following day. By September 26, both NexStar and Sinclair had agreed to resume airing the show across their networks.

While Disney and ABC faced the brunt of public outrage, the situation escalated when FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr entered the spotlight.

Two days after Kimmel’s controversial segment, Carr appeared on conservative commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast, suggesting Disney had a choice: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He implied that if Disney failed to take action against Kimmel, the FCC might be forced to step in.

Related: Disney+ Lost Millions After Pulling Jimmy Kimmel, Here’s What Happened

Carr stated:

“Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Look, there’s calls for Kimmel to be fired. You could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this. Again, the FCC is going to have remedies that we can look at. We may ultimately be called to be a judge on that.”

Related: Disney Stock Takes a Hit as Kimmel Suspension Sparks Streaming Chaos

Even after Kimmel’s suspension, Carr kept the pressure on Disney. In a separate podcast appearance, he claimed the FCC was considering launching an investigation into The View, another ABC program often critical of Donald Trump. Carr suggested the show may have violated the FCC’s Equal Opportunity Rule related to guest appearances—regulations that typically apply to news programs but can, in certain cases, extend to talk shows.

What surprised many observers was the rare bipartisan backlash Carr received. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle condemned his remarks, with even some hardline conservatives arguing that suspending Kimmel over political commentary was an overreach and a potential threat to free speech.

Now, Carr is being called to account.

According to reports, the Senate Commerce Committee has summoned Carr to testify regarding his statements about Disney, ABC, and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The committee is chaired by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who was among the first Republicans to denounce Carr’s remarks.

“I think it is unbelievably dangerous for the government to put itself in the position of deciding what speech is acceptable and what isn’t, and to threaten to take you off the air if they don’t like what you’re saying,” Cruz said on his podcast, Verdict with Ted Cruz, following the suspension announcement.

Carr has agreed to testify before the committee but insists he never issued any threats and maintains that it’s primarily Democrats who have interpreted his comments that way. As of now, no hearing date has been scheduled, in part due to the ongoing government shutdown.

What’s your take on this controversy? Do you believe Brendan Carr crossed a line by weighing in on Disney and ABC’s programming decisions? Should networks be held accountable for the political opinions expressed by their hosts or comedians? And was Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension a violation of free speech? Share your thoughts in the comments below.