Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr on Thursday said that ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel appeared to “mislead” the American public about facts regarding conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing in the days leading up to his show’s suspension.
ABC on Wednesday night said it was pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air “indefinitely” as a result of the host’s comments, which linked Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.
“The issue that arose here, where lots and lots of people were upset, was not a joke,” Carr said during an interview Thursday with CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.”
“It was not making fun,” said Carr, who hours before KImmel’s show was pulled off the air suggested the FCC might take action against ABC and its parent company, Disney.
“It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact that probably one of the most significant political events we’ve had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we’ve seen in a long time,” he said.
Brendan Carr, commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), speaks during the Semafor Innovating to Restore Trust in News Summit in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025.
Kent Nishimura | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Utah court documents filed Tuesday in connection with the murder charge against Robinson say his mother told investigators, “Over the last year or so, her son had become more political and had
started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro gay and trans-rights oriented.”
Those documents also say that when Robinson was asked why he killed Kirk, “Robinson explained there is too much evil, and [Kirk] spreads too much hate.”
A day before those documents were filed, KImmel, in his show’s opening monologue Monday, said “The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”
Trump has praised Kimmel’s suspension.
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band.
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The president had nominated Carr as FCC chair.
On Wednesday, before ABC said it was yanking Kimmel’s show, Carr called Kimmel’s comments “truly sick” and said there was a “strong case” for action against ABC and Disney.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr told right-wing commentator Benny Johnson that day. “These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel, or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
“They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest,” Carr said.
Hours after Carr’s comments were reported by Johnson, Nexstar Media Group said its stations that are affiliated with ABC would preempt Kimmel’s show “for the foreseeable future” because of Kimmel’s remarks.
Nexstar is seeking regulatory approval from the FCC for its planned $6.2 billion merger with Tegna
About 10% of ABC affiliates are owned by Nexstar.
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