| Congressional Democratic leaders called for the resignation of FCC Chair Brendan Carr for his role in pressuring Walt Disney’s ABC network to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air. Kimmel’s show was pulled Wednesday night after Carr told podcast host Benny Johnson he had a strong case to punish Kimmel, ABC and Disney over remarks the late-night host made about the killing of Republican activist Charlie Kirk. Former President Barack Obama joined the furor with a rare public statement on a political controversy of the moment: “After years of complaining about cancel culture, the current administration has taken it to a new and dangerous level,” Obama wrote in a social media post. ABC's decision to suspend Kimmel's show follows a series of instances in which media companies seeking favorable regulatory treatment have taken action against on-air talent that have offended the Trump administration. In July, CBS announced it was ending its late night show hosted by Stephen Colbert, another Trump critic. The network cited costs associated with the show, although its parent Paramount Global was seeking FCC approval for its takeover by Skydance Media. The approval was later granted. Trump, who for his part said Kimmel “was fired for lack of talent,” went one step further in his widening war on the media and potentially the First Amendment, saying US broadcast networks should face scrutiny over their licenses if they’re too critical of him.
— Jordan Parker Erb | 
