The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, is publicly criticizing ABC, Disney, and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for what he says are “truly sick and malicious lies” made during Kimmel’s monologue about the assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Carr claims that Kimmel said that the shooter, Tyler Robinson, was affiliated with the MAGA movement and Republican Party.
Carr has warned that unless ABC/Disney take disciplinary action—such as suspension of Kimmel—the FCC will be forced to consider revoking ABC’s broadcasting license.
He argued that ABC is obliged under its FCC license to operate in the public interest, and spreading misinformation about a high-profile case may violate that obligation.
Kimmel’s remarks provoked sharp backlash from conservative commentators, who accuse him of politically motivated disinformation. Supporters of Carr’s critique say that media figures must be more precise and responsible, especially on sensitive issues like political violence.
Critics of Carr warn that revoking ABC’s broadcast license risks infringing on free speech and could set a dangerous precedent.