WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators on Wednesday hammered the Federal Communications Commission’s leader for pressuring broadcasters to take ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air, suggesting that Brendan Carr was politicizing an independent agency and trampling the First Amendment.
The FCC chairman refused to disown his comments about Kimmel and, when questioned by Democrats about an agency long considered autonomous, suggested it was not insulated from Trump’s pressure.
“The FCC is not an independent agency,” Carr said.
Carr later sidestepped questions about whether he considered the Republican president to be his boss and whether he had taken orders from Trump or his inner circle.
“President Trump has designated me as chairman of the FCC,” Carr added later. “I think it comes as no surprise that I’m aligned with President Trump on policy.”
Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., noted that the FCC’s website described it as an “independent U.S. government agency overseen by Congress.”
Soon after, with the hearing still underway, the website changed, removing “independent” from a section describing its mission.
I’m so, so curious to see what they’re going to pull in September, October, and November of next year for midterms. I agree there’s no way Thiel, Musk, Miller, Vought, Bannon, Trump, etc. are going to risk going to prison once Democrats win every race. They’re planning to do… something.
Agreed. And cornered animals are the most dangerous. I fully expect some extremely illegal things to take place this spring. Ramping up attacks on both American cities and using ICE to ratchet up as much pressure on the population as they can to illicit violent retaliation while attacking (presumed) innocent fishermen in international waters. They need civil unrest or the perception of a threat to prevent elections and by god they’re going to get one, even if they have to use their own supporters to start it!