Friday, the GOP senator, Ted Cruz, denounced the president of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, the threats of withdrawing the dissemination permit of ABC as “incredibly dangerous” and compared part of his rhetoric to “mafioso” tactics.
In an episode of his podcast, “Verdict with Ted Cruz”, released on Friday, the Texas Republican said that he was “delighted” Jimmy Kimmel had been removed from ABC for his comments on conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. But he said he was strongly disagreed with the government’s police speech, saying that he could come back to bite the conservatives when the Democrats regain power.
“I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am delighted that he was dismissed,” said Cruz. “But let me say to you: if the government is saying:” We don’t like what you, the media, we said. We are going to prohibit you from the waves if you don’t say what we like, “it will end in bad ones for the conservatives.”
Although Carr’s comments have aroused a widespread conviction on the left, Cruz’s remarks represent one of the strongest denunciations of threats against the broadcasters by an elected curator. Cruz also chairs the Senate Commercial, Science and Transport Committee, which has a large authority over the FCC.
“Going down this route, he will come a time when a democrat will win again – will win the White House … They will silence us. They will use this power, and they will be ruthlessly using it. And it is dangerous,” said Cruz.
President Donald Trump also vaguely threatened to contract the licenses of the networks if they diffuse extremely negative coverage of him, although Cruz did not directly refute the president’s remarks.
“I read somewhere that the networks were 97% against me. I am 97% negative, and yet I won it easily,” said Trump, referring to the 2024 elections. “I won the seven swing states, popular vote, I won everything. And they are against 97%, they give me a completely bad advertisement … I mean, they get a license, I think that may their license should be removed. ”
Cruz made recent remarks that Carr made on the podcast of the far -right podcast Benny Johnson, in which the president of the FCC threatened to take measures against the broadcasters who “do not find ways to change driving” that the government considers unpleasant.
“I mean, look, we can do it the simplest way or the way to the hard,” said Carr. “These companies can find ways to change driving, to take measures, frankly, on Kimmel, or you know, there will be additional work for the FCC to come.” ABC withdrawn Kimmel’s show indefinitely the day after the next day after Carr made these comments.
Responding to Carr’s comments, Cruz said, “No, no, no, no, no.”
“Listen, look, I like Brendan Carr,” said the senator. “He’s a good guy. He is the president of the FCC. I work closely with him. But what he said that there is a dangerous like hell.”
“He said,” We can do it in the easy way, or we can do it to the hard. And I must say that it is right away “Goodfellas”. It is immediately a mafioso that enters a bar, “beautiful bar you have here.
Cruz added later: “I think it is incredibly dangerous for the government to put itself in position to say:” We will decide what we like and what we do not like, and we will threaten to withdraw you from the air if we do not like what you say. “”
“And it could be well at the moment to threaten Jimmy Kimmel,” said the senator. “But when it is used to silence all the conservatives in America, we will regret it.”
