{"id":88014,"date":"2026-05-01T08:04:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T08:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/ted-cruz-defends-jimmy-kimmel-over-trump-feud-repercussions\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T08:04:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T08:04:05","slug":"ted-cruz-defends-jimmy-kimmel-over-trump-feud-repercussions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/ted-cruz-defends-jimmy-kimmel-over-trump-feud-repercussions\/","title":{"rendered":"Ted Cruz Defends Jimmy Kimmel Over Trump Feud Repercussions"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Texas Senator Ted Cruz<\/strong> suggested that Jimmy Kimmel<\/strong> should not face legal repercussions from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for criticizing President Donald Trump<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not [the] government\u2019s job to censor speech, and I do not believe the FCC should operate as the speech police,\u201d Cruz, 55, told Punchbowl News<\/em> in an interview posted on Thursday, April 30.<\/p>\n

Earlier this week, FCC chairman Brendan Carr<\/strong> faced scrutiny for starting an early review of ABC\u2019s broadcast licenses for eight stations at the same time as Trump, 79, called on the network to fire Kimmel, 58. Carr, 47, told reporters following an open meeting of the FCC on Thursday that he faced no pressure from the White House to investigate ABC.<\/p>\n

(Carr has insisted that the FCC\u2019s review of ABC\u2019s broadcast licenses is due to Disney\u2019s diversity employment policies, which may have violated federal law.)<\/p>\n

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Related: <\/span>What Jimmy Kimmel Said About Melania Trump: ‘Expectant Widow’ Joke and More<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tJimmy Kimmel caused controversy after quipping that first lady Melania Trump has a \u201cglow like an expectant widow\u201d days before the annual White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner. On the Thursday, April 23, episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kimmel made the widow joke, which has not aged well after shots were fired during the event on Saturday, [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThis was a decision we made inside this building [the FCC headquarters] based on where we were in the enforcement matter,\u201d Carr insisted. \u201cThere was no pressure from the outside. There was no suggestion from the outside. There was no call for agency action from the outside. This is where we were.\u201d<\/p>\n

He went on, \u201cIn respect to President Trump, obviously he has every right [under the] First Amendment to express his position on this. One of the great things about President Trump is that he\u2019s very transparent. He\u2019s [said] publicly his position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carr suggested that there are \u201ca lot of people out there that agree\u201d with Donald and first lady Melania Trump<\/strong>\u2019s calls for ABC to fire the Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em> host.<\/p>\n

When Carr was asked whether Kimmel\u2019s conduct could impact ABC\u2019s license review, the FCC chairman said that Disney is \u201cgoing to have to come in and demonstrate that they\u2019ve been operating in the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

A reporter also brought up Cruz\u2019s criticism of the FCC, to which Carr replied, \u201cI agree with Senator Cruz that the FCC shouldn\u2019t be in the business of being the \u2018speech police.\u2019 What we have to do as an agency is to enforce our rules and regulations, and there are rules about nondiscrimination that are unrelated to speech that we have been pushing across the board. And that\u2019s the basis for the early renewal in the Disney case.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Trumps took issue with a joke that Kimmel made on air on April 23 in a White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner-style roast, where he suggested Melania had a \u201cglow like an expectant widow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two days later, a gunman opened fire at the White House Correspondents\u2019 Dinner in Washington D.C. on Saturday, April 25, with the Trumps and other administration officials in attendance. The Trumps, Vice President JD Vance<\/strong> and others were evacuated safely.<\/p>\n

(Suspected shooter Cole Tomas Allen<\/strong> has been charged with one count of attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, per the Justice Department.)<\/p>\n

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\n Jimmy Kimmel on \u201cJimmy Kimmel Live!\u201d<\/span> Courtesy YouTube \/ ABC<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Monday, April 27, Melania released a statement accusing Kimmel\u2019s \u201cexpectant widow\u201c joke of being \u201chateful and violent rhetoric\u201d that \u201cis intended to divide our country.\u201d Donald directly called for Kimmel\u2019s firing by ABC later that same day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, Jimmy Kimmel, who is in no way funny as attested to by his terrible Television Ratings, made a statement on his show that is really shocking,\u201d the president complained via his Truth Social on Monday. \u201cHe showed a fake video of the First Lady, Melania, and our son, Barron, like they were actually sitting in his studio, listening to him speak, which they weren\u2019t, and never would be. He then stated, \u2018Our First Lady, Melania, is here. Look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant widow.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The politician went on, \u201cA day later a lunatic tried entering the ballroom of the White House Correspondents Dinner, loaded up with a shotgun, handgun, and many knives. He was there for a very obvious and sinister reason. I appreciate that so many people are incensed by Kimmel\u2019s despicable call to violence, and normally would not be responsive to anything that he said but, this is something far beyond the pale. Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired by Disney and ABC. Thank you for your attention to this matter!\u201d<\/p>\n

On Monday\u2019s Jimmy Kimmel Live!<\/em> episode, Kimmel clarified that his joke was about the Trumps\u2019 24-year-gap, not a \u201ca call to assassination.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[The Trumps] know that,\u201d he insisted. \u201cI\u2019ve been very vocal for many years, speaking out against gun violence, but I understand that the first lady had a stressful experience over the weekend, and probably every weekend is pretty stressful in that house.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Related: <\/span>White House Official Calls Jimmy Kimmel ‘S*** Human Being’ Amid Trump Drama<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tA White House official is standing by Donald Trump\u2019s side amid the president\u2019s feud with Jimmy Kimmel. \u201cJimmy Kimmel is a s*** human being for: #1. Making a disgusting joke about assassinating the President,\u201d assistant to the president and White House director of communications Steven Cheung wrote via X on Tuesday, April 28. \u201c#2. Doubling [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kimmel has been defended by many across the political spectrum \u2014 including conservative commentator Candace Owens<\/strong> and frequent Trump administration critic George Clooney<\/strong> \u2014 and the host himself pointed out that Donald made a joke about his old age during King Charles III<\/strong> and Queen Camilla<\/strong>\u2019s state visit on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

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