Rand Paul, the Republican US senator, broke with Brendan Carr, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair, for seemingly putting his finger on the scale in the ongoing dispute between suspended talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel and his employer, Disney-owned ABC.
Paul, Kentucky’s junior senator, spoke Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press about the Donald Trump-appointed communications regulator who recently threatened to pull ABC affiliate broadcast licenses if Disney did not take action against Kimmel over his comments suggesting that Republicans were trying to characterize the alleged killer of far-right commentator Charlie Kirk as “anything other” than part of the president’s “Maga gang”.
Citing investigators’ interviews with those close to him, Utah prosecutors have alleged the suspect, Tyler Robinson, personally became sick of what he perceived to be Kirk’s “hatred” after “becoming more pro-gay and trans rights oriented” over the previous year.
But Carr had ominously told rightwing podcaster Benny Johnson: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way” – and said he hoped ABC and its local affiliates were listening.
“These companies can find ways to change conduct to take action, frankly, on Kimmel,” Carr remarked. “Or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
ABC then indefinitely suspended the host, raising free speech concerns that appeared to conflict with Kirk’s portrayal of himself as a free speech advocate.
Paul told Meet the Press that Carr’s comments were “absolutely inappropriate” and the FCC chair “has got no business weighing in on this”.
“Any attempt by the government to get involved with speech – I will fight,” Paul added.
But Paul also qualified his comments, saying Disney and ABC had no obligation to employ Kimmel. On-air media contracts typically have a morals clause against behavior that is offensive or reflects unfavorably on the company.
“People have to also realize that despicable comments – you have the right to say them,” Paul remarked. “But you don’t have the right to employment. Virtually everybody employed, probably including yourself, has a code of conduct in your contract that you have to adhere.”
He said owners of ABC affiliates Nexstar and Sinclair had a right to call for Kimmel’s suspension, saying: “You can be fired for not being popular also. I mean, this is television, for goodness’ sakes. You have to sell sponsorships. You have to sell commercials. And if you’re losing money, you can be fired. But the government’s got no business in it.”
Paul’s comments come as other Republicans have voiced concern about Carr’s apparent intervention in the Kimmel dispute after years of decrying what they view a predominantly politically left issue with cancelling holders of opinions they disagree with.
Ted Cruz, the Republican US senator of Texas, had previously compared Carr’s “the easy way or the hard way” comment as being “right out of Goodfellas”, referring to the mob movie.
“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,’” Cruz added. But he said he was no fan of Kimmel and was “thrilled that he was fired”.
Cruz warned that “if the government gets in the business of saying … ‘We’re going to ban you from the airwaves if you don’t say what we like,’ that will end up bad for conservatives”.
Trump has warned that he envisions the government being able to revoke broadcast licenses from news networks that are mostly “against” him.
But he has added that any decision would ultimately “be up to Brendan Carr”, whom the president described as a “patriot”.
Trump also said Kimmel “was fired for lack of talent”.
Meanwhile, ex-Disney chief executive officer Michael Eisner accused Carr of “out-of-control” intimidation – and he said the Kimmel episode raised questions about whether executives of his former company acted in their own “political or financial self-interest”.
Sports news outlet Front Office Sports recently reported that Disney could be facing a choice between putting Kimmel back on air and completing a multibillion-dollar deal with the National Football League to swap the NFL Network, RedZone brand, NFL Fantasy Football, and other media assets for a 10% stake in Disney-owned sportscaster ESPN.
Former White House press secretary for George W Bush, Ari Fleischer, told the outlet that meddling in the deal could be “political catnip” to Trump, who once sued the NFL while owning a team in the competitor United States Football League.
“Given his interest in the NFL, and his history of using media mergers for leverage, it’s hard to see him not playing around with this,” Fleischer said of Trump. “I doubt this will be a straightforward commercial transaction.”
