Commissioner of Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr testifies during an oversight hearing held by the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee to examine the Federal Communications Commission

Vice President JD Vance is claiming that threats made by Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr toward ABC and its parent company, Disney — threats that were supported by President Donald Trump’s remarks — were merely a “joke.”

Carr has control over broadcasters’ licenses, a fact obviously clear to Disney/ABC when he suggested to right-wing podcaster Benny Johnson that late-night host Jimmy Kimmel should be taken off the air.

Johnson posted video of his interview with Carr, and wrote:

“Chairman Brendan Carr calls Kimmel’s malicious lies … ‘truly sick’ and says they should result in Kimmel’s immediate suspension and may lead to ABC losing its broadcast license.”

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“Chairman Carr confirms the agency has a ‘strong case’ to hold Kimmel, ABC, and Disney accountable for spreading dangerous, politically motivated misinformation.”

He quoted Carr as saying: “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

“They have a license granted by us at the FCC, and that comes with it an obligation to operate in the public interest.”

“The FCC could make a strong argument that this is sort of an intentional effort to mislead the American people about a very core fundamental fact, a very important matter.”

According to the Vice President, however, Carr made his remarks in a tweet as a “joke.”

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On Wednesday, asked if he can square his “fervent belief in free speech with what’s going on now with Jimmy Kimmel and the FCC pressure,” the Vice President responded: “Well, look, on the free speech conversation, I’m pretty sure that Jimmy Kimmel was back on the air last night, and to the extent that he’s not back on the air, it’s because he’s not funny and has terrible ratings.”

“This is not a federal government problem,” Vance said. “Well, people will say is, ‘well, you know, didn’t the FCC commissioner put a tweet out that said something bad?'”

“Well, compare that,” Vance insisted, “the FCC commissioner making a joke on social media — what is the government action that the Trump administration has engaged in to kick Jimmy Kimmel or anybody else off the air?”

“Zero,” Vance insisted, despite what has been described as a threat to ABC.

“What government pressure have we brought to bear to tell people that they’re not allowed to speak their mind? Zero.”

“We believe in free speech in the Trump administration. We are fighting every single day to protect it,” Vance insisted, less than 24 hours after President Trump appeared to threaten legal or other action against ABC for putting Kimmel back on the air Tuesday night.

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