Texas Sen. Ted Cruz surprisingly broke with party lines over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, calling out President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chairman for his hardline stance against ABC and Disney.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr had threatened the network over Kimmel’s comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, warning executives to “change conduct and take action.”
Cruz, speaking on his podcast, warned that while conservatives may cheer Kimmel’s downfall, government pressure on networks is a dangerous precedent.
“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 stated.
Ted Cruz on Brendan Carr threatening ABC over Jimmy Kimmel: “That’s right out of Goodfellas… We shouldn't be threatening government power to force him off air. That's a real mistake.” pic.twitter.com/uVuLXKYl46
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) September 19, 2025
The Texas senator added that although he personally enjoyed seeing Kimmel taken off the air, he considered Carr’s comments to be reckless.
“Look, I like Brendan Carr. 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,” Cruz said, comparing the threats to something “right out of Goodfellas.”
Cruz said he was “thrilled” to see Kimmel sidelined but warned that empowering the FCC could backfire under a future Democratic administration.
That’s where Jimmy Kimmel should have lost his job, when he said the unvaxxed deserved to die. pic.twitter.com/8Yp4T8InGa
— Pascal Anglehart 🇨🇦 (@DemosKratosCA) September 18, 2025
“They will silence us. They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly,” Cruz cautioned.
The controversy began after Kimmel’s Monday monologue, where he accused Republicans of trying to twist the narrative around Kirk’s murder.
Jimmy Kimmel’s full comments on Charlie Kirk which led to his show being taken off air indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/Ctg7LL8HWL
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) September 18, 2025
“We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said.
Gov. Spencer Cox have contradicted Kimmel’s claim, saying the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was a left-wing radical with a transgender partner.
Surprisingly, Chris Cuomo sided with the Trump administration in pushing back on accusations of censorship.
The NewsNation host described Disney’s move to suspend “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” as purely corporate.
“You can like or not like Disney’s decision on Kimmel. But until I see proof of actual government coercion of their decision, this is about Disney making a business decision about its brand,” Cuomo said.
“Yes, Trump said Kimmel would be next. Now is that correlation or is it causation?” He continued.
“The answer to that comes in proof… We don’t have the proof before us. Maybe we will, then I’ll change my analysis.”
Cuomo argued Disney had a responsibility to its viewers and that decisions over ratings and image fell within its rights.
“And no, it is not a First Amendment issue until you have proof of government intervention, because the First Amendment doesn’t apply to private industry in this context. It’s a restriction on government regulation,” he said.
Meanwhile, critics of Kimmel’s removal framed the decision as political censorship.
Hollywood figures and liberal commentators blasted both ABC and the Trump administration, portraying the suspension as a direct threat to free speech.
Actor Rob Reiner went on CNN and accused Trump of attacking American democracy itself.
“I’m a friend of Jimmy’s, and what happened to him is unconscionable. It just can’t happen,” Reiner claimed.
“What’s happening now goes way beyond Jimmy Kimmel. We’re in a war. We’re in a war right now for our democracy. Trump has declared war on this democracy.”
The aging liberal director denounced Trump as a “convicted felon” and “adjudicated sex offender,” and accused the president of attempting to erase 250 years of American democracy.
“We are not going to stand for it. There are a lot of people who are going to be standing up in the near future, and you’re going to see a big pushback,” Reiner vowed.
Actor Jason Bateman also weighed in, calling Kimmel’s suspension “troubling.”
Asked about his longtime friendship with the host, Bateman said, “Well, it’s troubling, to say the least. And we all have to really take a moment and figure out how we feel about this type of thing. Especially, you know, people doing what you do.”
BREAKING: Jason Bateman just spoke out in opposition to Donald Trump’s silencing of Jimmy Kimmel. Trump doesn’t realize this yet, but his efforts to silence Americans who dissent will only make our calls stronger. pic.twitter.com/a2WE4MJXjh
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) September 19, 2025
He suggested that discussions were happening in Hollywood about a coordinated response.
“I imagine there’s plenty of conversations going on to do something because you just can’t stand by and let stuff like that go on,” Bateman said.
Hollywood producer Damon Lindelof, co-creator of “Lost,” actually threatened to quit ABC/Disney if Kimmel’s show is not reinstated.
On Instagram, he described Kimmel as “kind,” “caring,” and “empathic,” while blasting the suspension.
“I was shocked, saddened and infuriated by yesterday’s suspension and look forward to it being lifted soon,” Lindelof wrote.
He warned Disney executives, “If it isn’t, I can’t in good conscience work for the company that imposed it.”
Lindelof said critics should distinguish between “hate speech and a joke,” praising Kimmel’s long career.
“Jimmy? You’ve ALWAYS known what you were doing. Love you and support you,” he concluded.