A Sudden Cancellation
Some allies and members of Donald Trump‘s administration and party distance themselves from him when needed.
Trump’s response to Ted Cruz — his loyal supporter handling Jimmy Kimmel differently — is unknown.
ABC abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel’s show indefinitely. ABC and Disney found Kimmel’s Charlie Kirk monologue unacceptable.
Trump celebrated — even while on a state visit to the UK. He celebrated on social media, calling Kimmel unfunny, unprofessional, and anti-conservative.
The Un-American Approach
Ted Cruz argues government involvement in business is dangerous, especially when it affects media free expression. On Verdict, Cruz says Republicans risk their principles by pushing for Kimmel’s removal, signaling overreach.
Cruz mostly targeted FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who publicly advocated for regulatory action and was cited by ABC and Disney as a contributing factor in their decision to remove Kimmel.
Cruz admires Carr but disagrees with him here. He called the move “gangster” and suggested it was “un-American” and bad for free speech.
He said: “Look, look, I like Brendan Carr. He’s a good guy. He’s the chairman of the FCC. I work closely with him. But what he said there is dangerous as hell. [Carr] threatens it, he says, ‘We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.’”
He continued: “I’ve gotta say, that’s right out of Goodfellas. That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, ‘Nice bar you have here. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.”
A Personal Disdain And A Maverick Moment
Ted Cruz did not hide his disdain for Jimmy Kimmel, who has mocked and ridiculed him for his political ideas, embarrassing debate appearances, and his vacation during a crisis.
Cruz’s daughter has publicly criticized his parenting skills. Kimmel often used Cruz’s scandals to embarrass him, fueling Cruz’s dislike. Despite this, Cruz stands by his principles.
The senator revealed: “I’ve gotta say, look, I understand. Jimmy Kimmel has mocked me so many times I cannot count. The corporate media, they’re dishonest, they are liars, I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired. 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,” Cruz said.
A Slippery Slope
Cruz warns there will be future elections when Democrats regain power. He fears Democrats may retaliate for Kimmel’s ouster. He calls this a slippery slope that sets a precedent for future retaliation.
Cruz believes Democrats will use this as a precedent to target conservatives. “Going down this road, there will come a time when a Democrat wins again – wins the White House … they will silence us. They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly. And that is dangerous,” Cruz said.
“I think it is unbelievably dangerous for the government to put itself in the position of saying, ‘We’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying.’ And it might feel good right now to threaten Jimmy Kimmel,” the senator said. “But when it is used to silence every conservative in America, we will regret it,” he claimed.
