Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, the Republican known for his libertarian streak, reportedly said Sunday that it was “absolutely inappropriate” for Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr to threaten action against ABC over late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s on-air remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“Absolutely inappropriate. Brendan Carr has got no business weighing in on this,” Paul said during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press. Pressed on whether Carr’s warning was justified, Paul was blunt: “The FCC should have nothing to do with it.”
The senator stressed that the federal government has no role in policing speech, even offensive speech. “People have to also realize that despicable comments — you have the right to say them, but you don’t have the right to employment,” Paul said. He noted that private employers, including media companies, operate under codes of conduct, and employees who violate those terms can face consequences.
“Virtually everybody employed, probably including yourself, has a code of conduct in your contract that you have to adhere to,” Paul told moderator Kristen Welker. “NFL players have it. Major League Baseball players have it. And if you don’t adhere to that conduct, if you say things that are reprehensible or that glorify someone’s death or make fun of it in some way, yeah, you can be fired.”
Paul underscored that the ultimate accountability should come from viewers, sponsors, and employers — not federal regulators. “That’s their right,” he said of television companies choosing to cut ties with Kimmel. “You can be fired for not being popular also. I mean, this is television, for goodness’ sake. You have to sell sponsorships. You have to sell commercials. And if you’re losing money, you can be fired.”
“But the government’s got no business in it,” Paul concluded. “And the FCC was wrong to weigh in. And I’ll fight any attempt by the government to get involved with speech, I will fight.”
Kimmel’s show was suspended indefinitely by Disney and ABC on Wednesday after the host mocked attempts by conservatives to distance themselves from Kirk’s assassin.
On his Monday broadcast, Kimmel said the country “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 later appeared with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson and issued a stark warning to ABC. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said. “These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”
The comments fueled speculation of government pressure on broadcasters, even as market forces were already moving against Kimmel. Nexstar Media Group, the nation’s largest owner of local television stations, announced Wednesday that its affiliates would preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Nexstar strongly objects to recent comments made by Mr. Kimmel concerning the killing of Charlie Kirk and will replace the show with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets,” the company said in a statement.
ABC followed shortly after with Kimmel’s suspension.
For conservatives, the episode underscored both the dangers of politically motivated speech from cultural figures and the importance of keeping federal regulators from weaponizing their authority.
As Paul made clear, speech that audiences reject is best dealt with by the marketplace — not by Washington.
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