ABC TOOK COMIC JIMMY KIMMEL’S LATE-NIGHT SHOW OFF THE AIR INDEFINITELY WEDNESDAY, JUST HOURS AFTER FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION CHAIRMAN BRENDAN CARR CALLED HIS COMMENTS ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK’S ASSASSINATION “TRULY SICK.”

CARR IS A LONGTIME FCC COMMISSIONER NAMED AS CHAIRMAN BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IN NOVEMBER. IN THE MONTHS SINCE, HE HAS LAUNCHED INVESTIGATIONS OF ABC, CBS AND NBC NEWS.

CARR WAS ALREADY A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION AND SERVED PREVIOUSLY AS THE FCC’S GENERAL COUNSEL. HE WAS UNANIMOUSLY CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE THREE TIMES AND BOTH TRUMP AND PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN NOMINATED HIM TO THE COMMISSION.

BEFORE JOINING THE COMMISSION AS A STAFF MEMBER IN 2012, HE WORKED AS AN ATTORNEY AT WILEY REIN LLP AND CLERKED ON THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT.

SINCE BECOMING CHAIR, CARR HAS LEANED INTO TRUMP’S IDEAS ABOUT THE MEDIA AND TECH. HE WROTE A SECTION DEVOTED TO THE FCC IN “ PROJECT 2025,” A SWEEPING BLUEPRINT FOR GUTTING THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE AND DISMANTLING FEDERAL AGENCIES IN A SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PRODUCED BY THE CONSERVATIVE HERITAGE FOUNDATION. TRUMP HAS CLAIMED HE DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PROJECT 2025, BUT MANY OF ITS THEMES HAVE ALIGNED WITH HIS STATEMENTS.

DEMOCRATS HAVE PUSHED BACK, CALLING CARR’S ACTIONS CENSORSHIP AND PART OF A BROADER REPUBLICAN EFFORT TO WAGE A “WAR ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT.”