American Senator Ted Cruz has broken ranks with fellow US conservatives and hit out at talk show host Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, saying it was "mafioso" behaviour.

Disney-owned ABC has been widely criticised after it pulled the long-standing host of Jimmy Kimmel Live following comments in his show about the alleged gunman charged with right-wing activist Charlie Kirk's murder.

Kimmel implied the suspect was a Maga Republican, despite the man's mother telling police he had "started to lean more to the left".

As a result, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr threatened Disney and local broadcasters with investigations and regulatory action if they aired Kimmel's show - which led to dozens of local TV stations affiliated with ABC pulling it.

US President Donald Trump ,

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