Ted Cruz Condemns FCC’s “Mafioso” Threats

2025-09-21 05:47:00

(MENAFN) Prominent Republican Senator Ted Cruz has diverged from his party peers, criticizing the “mafioso” style warnings issued by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) toward US broadcasters over the ABC show Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The network temporarily halted Kimmel’s late-night program on Wednesday, citing what it described as his “offensive and insensitive” remarks concerning the recent assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

Just hours prior to the suspension, FCC chair Brendan Carr told The Benny Show that broadcasters must “take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead,” adding, “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

Cruz likened Carr’s approach to a scene from Martin Scorsese’s film Goodfellas.

“That’s right out of a mafioso coming into a bar going, ‘Nice bar you have here. It would be a shame if something happened to it’,” Cruz said on his Verdict with Ted Cruz podcast on Friday.

“What he said there is dangerous as hell,” he continued, warning that Carr’s threats could set a “slippery slope” of governmental overreach that might ultimately backfire on Republicans once a Democrat assumes the presidency.

MENAFN21092025000045017167ID1110089826

Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.