After Jimmy Kimmel talked about Charlie Kirk’s death late at night, Brendan Carr, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, made things worse. He has said that he will sue Kimmel, ABC, and Disney, which owns both companies. In a long discussion with conservative blogger Benny Johnson, Carr said he was especially concerned when Kimmel said on the air that the shooter who killed Kirk was a follower of the MAGA movement. This is a politically charged statement that has been shown to be false.
Last Wednesday, Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed at a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. People say that Tyler Robinson, who is 22 years old, killed Kirk because he didn’t like his political ideas. He is now being charged with aggravated murder and other serious crimes. Officials say that Robinson is now facing the death penalty for the crime.
Chairman Carr claimed that Kimmel’s words were “truly sick” and that the ABC show should be put on hold. He warned that this kind of reckless and politically motivated incorrect information could put ABC’s and Disney’s federally granted broadcast license at danger. The move is a very important warning since the FCC has rules that broadcasters must obey, like the duty to serve the public interest by providing out fair and factual information.
If Disney and ABC don’t remedy the problem, Carr said Johnson, the FCC will step in. Carr also said, “This is a very, very serious problem for Disney right now.” Carr said, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” These businesses need to figure out how to deal with Kimmel, or the FCC will have to do more work. He said that networks have to follow a lot of rules that come with FCC licenses if they want to preserve their rights.
BREAKING: The FCC Chairman is threatening immediate action against Jimmy Kimmel, ABC, and Disney for deliberately misleading the public by claiming Charlie Kirk’s assassin was a MAGA Conservative.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 17, 2025
Chairman Brendan Carr calls Kimmel’s malicious lies are “truly sick” and says they… pic.twitter.com/mGhtGMPReI
Carr added that there is a clear mechanism to put Kimmel on leave, and some people are calling for him to be fired. I believe you could absolutely see how this could lead to someone being suspended. He also said that the FCC might see this as a “intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact,” which could lead to government action. This means that if you share inaccurate information on a big, well-known event, you could be breaking broadcasting laws, not just speaking what you think or making a mistake.
Carr also informed local affiliate stations that the FCC has given them permission to show Disney’s shows to accept responsibility. This was on top of putting pressure on Disney and ABC. He advised these stations to cease running shows that spread lies and said, “It’s time for them to step up and say this garbage, if that’s what keeps coming down the pipe—isn’t something that serves the needs of our local communities.” Carr’s comments make it clear that local broadcasters are in charge of what they show, and affiliates might be punished if they keep propagating misleading material.
The controversy has made people talk more about how the media shapes people’s perspectives, especially when it comes to politically charged topics. The FCC’s stance makes it clear that federally licensed broadcasters have a duty to avoid airing false information that could mislead or offend the public, even though free speech is still a protected right.
Disney and ABC haven’t said much in public about what Carr said, but everyone is on edge because the government might do something. The case could teach huge broadcasters a lot about how to handle political opinion and misleading information in the future, especially when the content is about violent or sensitive events.
People are still interested in the suspect, the crime, and how the media covers and reacts to these kinds of events, even if the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s murder and Tyler Robinson’s trial are moving forward. Brendan Carr’s strong stance shows that the FCC is ready to hold broadcasters responsible. He goes on to say that with a lot of power comes a lot of responsibility. How this case is handled now could affect how networks balance their moral and legal duties with their right to publish the news in the future.
