Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday referred to as on Brendan Carr to be ousted as chair of the Federal Communications Fee (FCC) after ABC suspended comic Jimmy Kimmel over feedback about Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Schumer labeled Carr as “one of the greatest threats to free speech America has ever seen” after Carr backed the suspension.
“What Brendan Carr is doing is despicable. What he did to Jimmy Kimmel, he is doing to person after person, network after network, intimidating them and threatening them,” Schumer stated in a social media publish.
“He is one of the greatest threats to free speech America has ever seen,” Schumer continued. “He should resign immediately. Trump should fire him.”
Disney and ABC yanked Kimmel’s present from the airwaves on Wednesday after he stated on his Monday night present that the nation “hit some new lows over the weekend,” when the “MAGA gang desperately tried to characterize this kid who killed Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.”
Carr earlier on Wednesday threatened ABC and its native associates and indicated that the FCC might punish stations in the event that they didn’t take steps relating to Kimmel following the feedback.
“These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” Carr instructed conservative commentator Benny Johnson on a podcast.
Nexstar Media Group introduced Wednesday that its affiliate stations throughout the nation would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live” because of the remarks. ABC adopted go well with with the suspension shortly after.
Nexstar owns The Hill and affiliate stations in dozens of markets throughout the U.S. It additionally owns NewsNation and the CW.
In its announcement, Nexstar stated it “strongly objects to latest feedback made by Mr. Kimmel in regards to the killing of Charlie Kirk and can exchange the present with different programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.”
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse, and we do not believe they reflect the spectrum of opinions, views, or values of the local communities in which we are located,” Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, stated in a press release.