Rand Paul: FCC chair had “no business” intervening in ABC/Kimmel controversy

In a recent statement, Senator Rand Paul criticized the intervention of Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in the ABC/Kimmel controversy. Paul argued that Carr had "no business" weighing in on the issue, describing his actions as "absolutely inappropriate." The controversy centered around Jimmy Kimmel's criticism of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Carr, a Republican appointee to the FCC, had written a letter to ABC expressing concern over Kimmel's comments, which he deemed "a violation of the station's public interest obligations." Paul, a Republican senator, strongly objected to Carr's involvement, stating that the FCC chair should not be interfering in a private network's editorial decisions. He emphasized that the government should not be dictating the content of media outlets, as this would be a violation of free speech principles. The incident highlights the ongoing debates surrounding the role of government agencies in regulating media content and the balance between free speech and public interest considerations.