California Rep. Robert Garcia says he’s launching an investigation into the Trump administration and ABC over the firing of late show host Jimmy Kimmel.
Kimmel was ousted by the network Wednesday night, reportedly because of a joke that identified far-right activist Charlie Kirk’s assassin as a MAGA acolyte. But Kimmel’s long-running feud with President Donald Trump and pending business deals requiring federal approval have fueled speculation the firing was actually driven by censorship and bribery.
“Every American has a duty to stand up for our First Amendment values,” Garcia, who co-chairs the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement. “We will not be silent as our freedoms are threatened by corrupt schemes and threats. Anyone who is complicit will need to answer to us.”
Since Kirk’s killing, Republicans have been targeting virtually anyone on the left who makes disparaging remarks about Kirk or his legacy. Trump and other Republicans have repeatedly blamed Democrats for Kirk’s death, even though the killer’s motives are still unknown.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government would rescind visas for anyone who “celebrates” Kirk’s death, and Trump adviser Stephen Miller said “leftist organizations” that “contributed” to Kirk’s murder would be investigated by the Justice Department.
Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy told NPR on Tuesday that he believes there are darker motivations behind these efforts.
“They’re readying what may be a dizzying, high-volume attack on the president’s political opponents,” Murphy said. “They’re essentially exploiting the death of Charlie Kirk to try to eliminate those who oppose the president’s agenda.”
Kimmel has been an outspoken critic of Trump and his policies, often using humor to ridicule the president. Trump has called for Kimmel to be fired on several occasions.
Some local ABC affiliates said they would preempt Kimmel’s program because of his joke. FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who was appointed by Trump, publicly urged other local stations to follow suit, implying their broadcast licenses could be in jeopardy if they don’t. This appears to have inspired ABC to remove Kimmel from the network entirely.
Many of these local stations are owned by Nexstar, which is currently pursuing a $6.2 billion merger with rival company Tenga. The merger will require approval from the FCC.
A similar drama unfolded in July, when CBS fired Stephen Colbert, another Trump critic, just days after Carr met with Skydance Media executives, who were seeking to acquire CBS’s parent company, Paramount. The deal was approved the following week.
“There’s going to be a Democratic majority in just over a year,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell, another Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. “To the FCC chairperson and anyone involved in these dirty deals: get a lawyer and save your records because you’re going to be in this room answering questions.”
Kimmel has yet to release a public statement on his ouster.
Reprinted with permission from American Journal News.
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