'Dangerous as hell': Cruz blasts FCC's Jimmy Kimmel takedown

[demmiblue]

Sen. Ted Cruz on his podcast Friday admonished Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr for demanding ABC suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show over comments regarding Charlie Kirk — calling Carr’s actions “dangerous as hell” and “right out of ‘Goodfellas.’”

“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,” said the Texas Republican.

And while Cruz said he liked Carr and was “thrilled” to see Kimmel’s show taken off the air, he cautioned that leveraging the FCC’s power to punish certain speech creates a concerning precedent that could leave conservatives vulnerable in a future Democratic administration.

“They will silence us,” said Cruz. “They will use this power, and they will use it ruthlessly.”

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/09/19/congress/cruz-calls-out-fcc-for-taking-down-jimmy-kimmel-00573159

[JI7]

1. Cruz has a podcast ?

[leftstreet]

2. Cruz is still alive?

[flying_wahini]

4. No wonder he never gets anything done.

[underpants]

12. Au contraire, he always gets the pandering done

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220650086

[RussBLib]

14. I thought you had a real job, Raphael

https://russblib.blogspot.com

[newdeal2]

5. The 2025 version of "if a tree fell in a forest"

[Deuxcents]

3. So..which is it, Cruz? Very bad when you lose power or an affront to the Constitution? Spineless statement

[Walleye]

6. And we will be able to tell his furious because he will do so much about it

Watch out FCC Ted Cruz criticized you

[lostincalifornia]

7. Penlope Cruz has more credibility than teddy boy who talks out of both sides of his ugly mouth.

[chia]

9. Cruz doesn't have a problem with the unconstitutionality, just the possibility of reciprocity.

It's fine if it's unconstitutional, as long as it's MAGA doing the unconstitutional. It's all about power.

[elleng]

10. Seems to me we all (DU) should use our platform to recognise when someone

(who we have disliked in he past) says something correct and strong.

[Wednesdays]

18. "Broken clock." nt

[pacalo]

19. Yes, elleng, this is the time to welcome any support

for the Constitution from the other side.

Remember when Nixon’s presidency began unraveling, it took a long time before Rep. support for impeachment began to trickle in. We shouldn’t try to discourage them from speaking out.

[BlueKota]

11. Google News posted a story from Newsweek

that said Tucker Carlson did a special program against using the FCC to silence "hate speech," as he feared it could be used against him, if Democrats regain power, just like Cruz. I wonder if tsf will call them out? Nah, he only does that to Democrats.

It be admirable, if Cruz and Carlson were actually protesting the move, because it violates th 1st ammendment. Instead they are only objecting, because they are afraid they personally won't be able to spew hate in the future.

[patphil]

13. So the possibility of future retalition is the only reason this shit is bad?

He didn't say it was bad for the future of our country, or that free speech is fundamental to our Democratic Republic, or that it's a gross overreach of Administrative power.
He says it could be used against Republicans in the future if the Democrats take control of the government.
The implication here is that he'd be OK with it, if he was sure the Democrats never got back into power.
Ted Cruz can never be counted on the defend fundamental principles of the Constitution just because they're what keeps us together as a nation.
It's fear of retribution that gave him pause.

[MagickMuffin]

15. Hey Jr Sen. Cruz

It's unfortunate that you are my senator, but here's the thing let me clue you in.

Democrats would NEVER violate the Constitution. That is a republican's playbook.

Defending the 2nd amendment at all costs, yet it wasn't the very first amendment.

However, the very 1st Amendment protects our FREE SPEECH.

Ted you are one delusional cult member and your brain was replaced with brainworms.

[sl8]

16. Interesting rationale. He says it's wrong because it's "bad for conservatives", rather than "bad for America". nt

[Grim Chieftain]

17. Whoa! Hell has officially frozen over.

[Jack Valentino]

20. For ONCE, Cruz stands up for one principle which he always claimed to support

when his own president and party are violating it....


Credit for standing up for what is right, FOR ONCE,
but this is really a REQUIREMENT--- like when Pence refused
to fuck with the electoral vote in 2020....


It is notable ONLY because Republicans are in the habit of
getting on their knees and bending over for Trump,
so it is unusual when any of them criticize him