House Democrats Demand FCC Chair Resignation Over ABC Jimmy Kimmel Pressure

Democratic leaders in the U.S. House have called for Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr to resign, accusing him of abusing his power by pressuring Walt Disney and ABC affiliates to pull Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show following Kimmel's remarks about the assassination of Republican activist Charlie Kirk. The lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top Democrats, condemned Carr for bullying ABC and forcing the company to comply with the Trump administration, describing his actions as a corrupt abuse of power. They also criticized media companies for what they called cowardice in censoring artists and suggested possible corrupt pay-to-play schemes, vowing to investigate using congressional subpoena power. Carr had threatened potential fines and license revocations against ABC in response to Kimmel's comments, escalating concerns about First Amendment rights and government overreach. This controversy follows earlier Democratic probes into alleged sham investigations by Carr targeting major media outlets to intimidate the press. The FCC and the White House have not yet publicly responded to these accusations.