The FCC censorship debate took center stage Friday as Sen. Ted Cruz issued a strong warning on his podcast. Speaking on Verdict with Ted Cruz, he cautioned conservatives not to support government crackdowns on media speech.
His comments came after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel indefinitely. The suspension followed Kimmel’s comments accusing Tyler Robinson, Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin, of being a MAGA supporter.
The indictment, however, revealed different facts. That prompted FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to respond on Fox News. Carr stated the agency plans to revive enforcement of public interest standards. Under FCC rules, broadcasters must serve the public interest to keep their licenses. Misrepresentation, fraud, or dishonesty could justify revocation or denial of renewal.
However, Cruz pushed back hard. He said Carr’s stance, while well-meaning, risks long-term damage to conservative media. “What he said there is dangerous as hell,” Cruz warned. Cruz admitted Kimmel lied and misled viewers. However, he argued the solution is not license cancellation. “That’s a power conservatives will regret,” he explained.
Moreover, Cruz warned that once Democrats regain control, they could weaponize the same authority. “They will silence us,” he said. “And they’ll do it without hesitation.” Although Cruz dislikes Kimmel’s rhetoric, he opposes using government threats. “We should sue for defamation, not revoke licenses,” he said. “Let the legal process handle slander.”
He acknowledged that silencing liberal voices may feel satisfying temporarily. Still, he stressed it would set a dangerous precedent. “This will come back to hurt us,” Cruz added. President Trump responded to Cruz’s comments during a White House press briefing. He stood by Carr’s approach. “Brendan Carr is a courageous patriot,” Trump declared.
Trump recalled earlier times when broadcasters had to prove honesty to renew licenses. “Networks have lost credibility,” he said. “Carr wants truth back on the airwaves.” Meanwhile, this issue is not new. During the Biden administration, a progressive nonprofit urged the FCC to reject a Fox station’s license renewal.
The FCC denied the request, citing First Amendment protections. That decision came just days before Trump began his second term in 2025. Still, the FCC censorship debate continues to divide even top conservatives. Cruz believes the right must resist the urge to silence speech through regulation.
Ultimately, he argued, protecting freedom means allowing even offensive voices to speak. “The FCC censorship debateis not about Jimmy Kimmel,” Cruz concluded. “It’s about the future of speech in America.”
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