Last week, Jimmy Kimmel announced on his show, *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*, that an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico would not be broadcast on ABC due to fears of repercussions from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who has been labeled Trump’s top censorship proponent. This decision was made amid concerns that Carr has previously initiated baseless investigations and even threatened to revoke ABC’s local broadcast licenses for airing content critical of the president.

Instead of broadcasting on television, the interview was uploaded to YouTube, quickly racking up over 10 million views, showcasing significant public interest. Carr, however, responded by visiting Elon Musk’s controversial platform to label the entire scenario a “hoax,” ironically criticizing what he termed "partisan lemmings."

Carr’s remarks were in response to a post by the University Democrats, an Austin-based group, which he countered with a lengthy and factually questionable defense of his actions on Twitter. He argued that the "equal time" statute, which he claims ABC violated, does not restrict interviews with political candidates but rather ensures that all candidates receive comparable media exposure.

Despite this, it’s important to note that *The View*, another ABC program, has been exempt from the "equal time" rule since 2002, an exemption Carr is well aware of. Critics argue that Carr is misrepresenting the law to further a censorship agenda that disproportionately targets media outlets airing anti-Trump sentiments. This selective enforcement is evident as Carr does not similarly target conservative media, which frequently broadcasts partisan content without FCC interference.

The backlash to Carr's actions and statements has been swift and severe, with many pointing out the potential First Amendment violations involved in his aggressive policing of network content. Legal experts suggest that ABC’s impending lawsuit against the FCC could expose significant overreach on Carr’s part.

As the situation unfolds, the implications for media freedom and political expression continue to be hotly debated, highlighting the tension between government authorities and broadcasters in an increasingly polarized media landscape.

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For further details, visit the original post on [Above the Law](https://abovethelaw.com/2026/09/brendan-carr-cries-calls-jimmy-kimmel-censorship-a-hoax/).