Senator Ted Cruz has taken an unexpected stance in support of comedian Jimmy Kimmel following the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) strong reaction to a joke Kimmel made regarding Melania 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 stated in an interview with Punchbowl News on Tuesday.
This defense comes after Kimmel's mock speech at the White House Correspondent’s dinner, where he described the First Lady as having a “glow like an expectant widow,” igniting backlash from Republican circles.
In a troubling turn of events, just days after Kimmel's show aired, a gunman attempted to attack the press gala in Washington D.C., targeting President Donald Trump and other high-ranking officials before being subdued by the Secret Service.
Consequently, the FCC announced on Tuesday that it would review eight ABC TV licenses held by Disney to assess whether the network breached its “prohibition on unlawful discrimination.”
Brendan Carr, an FCC Commissioner aligned with the president, hinted that Disney's broadcast license could face scrutiny due to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, which he has previously criticized.
This renewed scrutiny follows public condemnation of Kimmel's joke from various officials, including Trump and Melania Trump, particularly in light of the recent violent incident.
Melania Trump characterized Kimmel’s remarks as “hateful and violent rhetoric … intended to divide our country,” expressing her discontent on social media platform X. “People like Kimmel shouldn’t have the opportunity to enter our homes each evening to spread hate,” she added. “Enough is enough… How many times will ABC’s leadership enable Kimmel’s atrocious behavior at the expense of our community?”
Cruz had previously criticized the FCC last September when Kimmel faced temporary suspension from the airwaves after making comments about right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk's death.
The fallout from that incident reverberated globally for Disney, leading to complaints directed at ABC and its affiliates across Australia and Europe.
“I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said, I am thrilled that he was fired,” Cruz remarked at that time. “But let me tell you: If the government gets in the business of saying, ‘We don’t like what you, the media, have said; we’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like’—that will end up bad for conservatives.”
