Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, in an interview with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, threatened action against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Disney for falsely suggesting that Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA supporter.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed last Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who appeared to hold animosity for Kirk’s conservative views, has been charged with aggravated murder and a half-dozen other charges. He’s facing the death penalty.
Carr condemned Kimmel’s remarks as “truly sick,” saying the late-night host should be suspended from ABC and warning the comments could jeopardize the network’s broadcast license. He said the FCC has a “strong case” to hold Disney, ABC, and Kimmel accountable for spreading politically motivated disinformation.
“This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. 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,” Carr told Johnson. “They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.”
PLAY:
BREAKING: The FCC Chairman is threatening immediate action against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Disney for deliberately misleading the public by claiming Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA Conservative.
Chairman Brendan Carr calls Kimmel’s malicious lies are “truly sick” and says they… pic.twitter.com/mGhtGMPReI
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 17, 2025
“There are calls for Kimmel to be fired. I think you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this,” he continued. “The FCC could make a strong argument that this is sort of an intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact, a very important matter.”
“Disney needs to see some change here. But the individual licensed stations that are taking their content, it’s time for them to step up and say this garbage, if that’s what continues to come down the pipe, isn’t something that serves the needs of our local communities. The status quo is obviously not acceptable,” Carr concluded.
