FCC Chief Claims Agency Lost Independence Amid Kimmel Controversy Probe

The FCC Chairman Faces Sharp Criticism from Democratic Senators

Washington, D.C. — On Wednesday, a group of Democratic senators launched a fierce attack on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman, Brendan Carr, for allegedly pressuring broadcasters to remove ABC’s late-night host, Jimmy Kimmel, from the air. The senators accused Carr of politicizing an independent agency and violating the First Amendment.

Carr refused to distance himself from his comments regarding Kimmel and, when questioned about the FCC’s autonomy, suggested that the agency was not entirely free from the influence of former President Donald Trump.

“The FCC is not an independent agency,” Carr stated during the hearing. He later avoided answering whether he considered Trump to be his superior or if he had followed orders from the president or his inner circle.

“President Trump has designated me as chairman of the FCC,” Carr added. “I think it comes as no surprise that I’m aligned with President Trump on policy.”

Senator Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico, pointed out that the FCC’s website previously described it as an “independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress.” However, shortly after the hearing began, the website was updated to remove the word “independent” from its mission description.

Trump's Campaign Against the Media Intensifies

During this time, President Trump has continued his aggressive campaign against the media in his second term. He has filed lawsuits against outlets whose coverage he dislikes and threatened to revoke TV broadcast licenses. On Wednesday, he criticized NBC for an interview with Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, stating:

“The Public airwaves, which these Networks are using at no charge, should not be allowed to get away with this any longer!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They should be properly licensed, and pay significant amounts of money for using this very valuable Public space.”

The 2½-hour hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee repeatedly returned to Carr’s stance on Kimmel following the late-night host’s comments on the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. At the time, Carr’s vocal criticism and veiled threats were compared to those of a mob boss.

Carr claimed he was simply enforcing laws that require networks to be held to stricter scrutiny than cable and other forms of media. He also said, “the FCC has walked away from enforcing the public interest standard.”

Democrats, however, argued that Carr was misusing the laws he cited.

“You are weaponizing the public interest standard,” said Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, who urged Carr to resign.

GOP Focuses on Other Issues

Republican senators focused on perceived First Amendment violations by the Biden administration, calling Democrats’ free speech arguments insincere. GOP members appeared more interested in discussing broadcast spectrum auctions, undersea cable infrastructure, algorithm-driven content, and robocalls rather than Carr’s statements about Kimmel.

Committee Chairman Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, had previously likened Carr’s comments to those of a mobster and called them “dangerous as hell.” However, during the hearing, Cruz took a softer approach. He dismissed Kimmel as “tasteless” and “unfunny” and shifted focus to criticizing Biden’s administration, a stance that Carr echoed throughout the session.

“Joe Biden is no longer president,” Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, retorted at one point.

Additional Perspectives from FCC Commissioners

The hearing also included the two other FCC commissioners, Olivia Trusty and Anna M. Gomez. Gomez, a Biden appointee, expressed concerns about the FCC’s reputation, stating that it has “undermined its reputation as a stable, independent and expert-driven regulatory body.”

“Nowhere is that departure more concerning,” Gomez said, “than its actions to intimidate government critics, pressure media companies and challenge the boundaries of the First Amendment.”

Carr, who was nominated to the FCC by both Trump and Biden and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate three times, has recently shown more overtly right-wing views. He contributed a section on the FCC to “Project 2025,” a blueprint for dismantling federal agencies in Trump’s second term.

Since becoming chairman this year, Carr has launched separate investigations of all three major broadcast networks. After Kimmel’s comments on the September killing of Kirk, a Trump ally and prominent voice on the right, Carr said: “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Senator Cruz had previously criticized Carr’s comments, calling them “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 threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying.”

While Cruz did not repeat those words during the hearing, they were frequently referenced by Democrats. Carr did not directly respond to questions from reporters about Cruz’s original comments following the hearing.

“I think the hearing went really well,” Carr said in response.