"In a strong rebuke, Senator Ted Cruz labels FCC chairman's threats towards ABC as akin to mob-like tactics, characterizing them as extremely threatening."
Senator Ted Cruz Slams FCC Chairman's Threats to Broadcasters
US Senator Ted Cruz has denounced the threats made by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr to pull broadcast licenses from networks, labelling them as "unbelievably dangerous."
In a recent episode of his podcast, "Verdict with Ted Cruz," Cruz expressed his disapproval of Carr's remarks, which he played in full during the show. Carr had threatened to take action against broadcasters who don't alter their conduct to suit the government's preferences.
Cruz, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, emphasized that he has a good working relationship with Carr, but strongly condemned his recent remarks. He compared Carr's rhetoric to "mafioso" tactics, specifically referencing a line from the movie Goodfellas.
The Texas Senator expressed concern that if the government gets in the business of regulating speech, it will end up being detrimental to conservatives. He asserted that such actions could come back to bite conservatives when Democrats retake power.
Cruz's latest remarks represent one of the strongest denunciations of threats against broadcasters by an elected conservative. His comments follow US President Donald Trump's vague threats to pull networks' licenses if they air overwhelmingly negative coverage of him.
Trump had referred to the 2024 election, claiming he won all seven swing states, the popular vote, and yet received 97% negative publicity from the networks. He suggested that the networks' licenses should be taken away due to their negative coverage.
ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel's show off the air indefinitely the day after Carr made those comments. Cruz, however, was "thrilled" by this decision, stating that while it may feel good to threaten Kimmel now, such tactics could be used to silence conservatives in the future.
Cruz reiterated his opposition to the government policing speech, asserting that it could come back to bite conservatives when Democrats retake power. His denunciation of Carr's threats marks another strong denunciation of threats against broadcasters by an elected official.
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