Is Jimmy Kimmel’s Suspension Just the Beginning?

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr said on Thursday To CNBC that the suspension of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was just a preventive measure for what he described as a broader shift in the media landscape, suggesting “we’re not done yet.”

Carr’s comments, made during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, come after ABC announced it was pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air “indefinitely.” The decision followed controversy over a monologue in which Kimmel appeared to link Charlie Kirk’s accused killer, Tyler Robinson, to supporters of Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

“The issue that arose here, where lots and lots of people were upset, was not a joke,” Carr said. “It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant fact … probably one of the most significant political assassinations we’ve seen in a long time.”

In his opening monologue on Monday, Kimmel said, “The MAGA Gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Carr said the FCC’s role isn’t to silence voices, but to ensure broadcasters meet their obligations to serve the public interest. He added that local stations have the right under federal law to preempt programming they believe fails to do so.

During the interview, when asked whether the U.S. government should have someone review the show content before it airs, Carr responded, “No.” He added, “The local broadcast station is supposed to be responsible for the content. They’re responsible for judging what they think is in the public interest or serves the need of their local communities.”

President Trump answered reporters on Thursday and praised ABC’s decision to suspend Kimmel, calling the host “not a talented person” and asserting that he “was fired for lack of talent.” Despite Trump’s comments, ABC has not fired Kimmel.

Carr, a Trump appointee, has drawn criticism for comments made before the suspension, calling Kimmel’s monologue “truly sick” and warning that Disney, ABC’s parent company, could face regulatory consequences if action wasn’t taken. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Carr said in a separate interview on Wednesday.

Asked on CNBC whether Trump’s calls for other late-night shows to be canceled reflect FCC policy, Carr said, “I don’t speak for the president,” reiterating that the agency’s concern is ensuring broadcasters operate within legal guidelines.

Carr said the media is in a moment of disruption: “We are in the midst of a massive shift in dynamics in the media ecosystem … and we’re not done yet with seeing the consequences of that.”

ABC has not commented further on the future of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” or his potential return.