LOS ANGELES (OC).–Misquoting Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) on Free Speech for broadcast journalism, the fake news did everything possible to reject Brendan Carr’s tough stand on networks that about their First Amendment rights. Cruz said Carr sounded like a “Mafioso” telling ABC News that we can deal with the Jimmy Kimmel issue the easy way or the hard way. Cruz actually agreed with Disney’s CEO Bob Iger parting ways with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” for inappropriate comments made as part of his nightly anti-Trump monologue. Kimmel has given his audience a steady diet for the last nine years of anti-Trump rhetoric, the latest telling his audience that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was part of the MAGA crowd, when, in fact, he was a disgruntled transgender sympathizer. How much that had to do with his targeted killing of Kirk is anyone’s guess, motives will eventually come out
On his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” Cruz said that Carr’s language could come back to bite conservatives when Democrats retake power in the House, Senate and presidency. “I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said. I am thrilled that he was fired,” Cruz said. “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. Cruz said Jimmy Kimmel deserved to get fired, he objected to Carr’s language that appeared to threaten broadcast journalism. Leftist media jumped all over Cruz’s remarks, making the Kimmel firing about Free Speech, not about community decency standards. ABC had no choice by to preempt Kimmel’s show indefinitely when its show distributors cancelled subscriptions.
Cruz chairs the Senate Commerce Committee that has oversight on the Federal Communications Commission [FCC]. Democrats and the fake news jumped all over Cruz’s remarks, when, in fact, he was “thrilled” Kimmel was fired. Cruz knows that Carr’s words were taken out-of-context, amplified because the ABC’s controversial decision to cancel Kimmel’s show. “There is no doubt the Commerce Committee has oversight, authority and responsibility over the FCC, and when the Democrats had the majority, they did not engage in oversight . . . We’ll do our job and engage in oversight,” Cruz said, not saying whether he would take any action in the current situation with Kimmel. President Donald Trump had only high praise for Carr for his handling of the Kimmel situation. Trump sees the mainstream media, he call the fake news, having too much power.
Carr was guilty of speaking too harshly about media companies that abuse their First Amendment rights. He was especially critical of Kimmel for misleading this audience that Charilie Kirk’s assassin was part of the MAGA movement. Cruz spoke only in hypotheticals about his committee’s oversight over the FCC. He has no immediate plans to hold hearings about Carr and the FCC overreaching on his authority. If you listen to Democrats and the fake news report on Cruz’s comments, you’d think he agreed with Trump’s attacks on Free Speech. Trump actually wants to save U.S. journalism from the current stranglehold by the Democrat Party. Media research polls show 95% negative reporting on Trump and his White House. Trump would like to see more balanced reporting, not something he gets from the New York Times of outlets like CNN or MSNBC.
Democrats and the fake news objected to Carr’s language when dealing with overly biased reporting. “I mean look, we can do this the easy way of the hard way,” Carr said, using language that Cruz thought was heavy handed. “There companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly on Kimmel, or you know there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr said. Nexstar and Sinclair Broadcasting pulled the Kimmel’s show, leaving Disney no choice but to preempt his show indefinitely. Kimmel said he has no intention of apologizing for his remarks about Kirk, rejecting Sinclair’s suggestion that he apologize and pay reparations to Turning Point USA, Charilie Kirk’s nonprofit group. Cruz objected to Carr’s use of words not Disney’s actions to pull him off the air. Cruz thinks the FCC should not threaten media groups with legal action.
Cruz has been completely taken out-of-context, agreeing with left wing group about the sacrosanct nature of Free Speech. “Look, look. I like Brendan Carr,” Cruz said. 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,” referring to Carr’s warning about doing this the easy war or the hard way. “I think it’s is unbelievably dangerous for 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 threat to take you off the air if we don’t like what you’re saying,” Cruz said, trying to clarify his position. Cruz does think Jimmy Kimmel deserved to have his show cancelled, not for Free Speech but for violating community decency standards in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s death. Cruz showed how easy the left misstates his view.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
