Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr is in the spotlight in the wake of ABC indefinitely suspending late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

Kimmel came under fire from President Trump and conservative lawmakers for his comments on Monday regarding reactions on the right to the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

"We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it,” Kimmel said. The late night comedian also said that Trump was mourning Kirk “the way a 4-year-old mourns a goldfish.”

Kimmel was suspended by ABC shortly after Nexstar Media Group said its local affiliates would preempt “Jimmy Kimmel Live” starting Wednesday. Nexstar, which owns The Hill, is the largest provider of local news in the country.

What did Carr say about Kimmel?

During an appearance on conservative commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast, Carr called Kimmel’s comments “truly sick” and called on broadcasters to consider taking Kimmel’s show off their air.

“It's time for them to step up and say this garbage to the extent that that's what comes down the pipe in the future isn't something that we think serves the needs of our local communities,” Carr said.

After Kimmel was suspended, Carr applauded the decision, saying on X that broadcasters "have long retained the right to not air national programs that they believe are inconsistent with the public interest, including their local communities' values."

"I am glad to see that many broadcasters are responding to their viewers as intended," Carr added.

During an appearance on Fox News’s “Hannity” on Wednesday Carr said Kimmel and other left-leaning comics are “facing the consequences” of catering to what he called a “very narrow audience.”

What is Carr's role at FCC?

Trump nominated Carr to chair the FCC last November, replacing Jessica Rosenworcel. In his announcement, Trump called Carr “a warrior for Free Speech.”

"He will end the regulatory onslaught that has been crippling America's Job Creators and Innovators, and ensure that the FCC delivers for rural America,” the president added.

In December, prior to his confirmation as FCC chair, Carr told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that he would break up the “censorship cartel" among social media, government and traditional media platforms.

“I think Americans have been seeing an unprecedented surge in censorship, particularly over the last couple of years,” Carr said. “It’s going to be one of my top priorities, is trying to smash this censorship cartel.”

When did Carr become FCC chair?

Carr’s appointment to lead the FCC marked the culmination of what is a 13-year tenure at the agency. The 46-year-old began at the commission as a staffer in 2012, then served as a legal adviser to then-FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai from 2014 to 2017.

When Trump appointed Pai to serve as FCC chair in January 2017, Carr became the commission’s general counsel.

Carr was then nominated to a six-year term as commissioner by Trump in June 2017, with the Senate confirming him in August. He was nominated again by President Biden in 2023 to a term running through 2029.

During his time as a commissioner, Carr was an outspoken critic of large tech companies and TV networks, particularly ahead of the 2024 election. When Vice President Harris appeared on the final “Saturday Night Live” episode before the election, Carr accused the network of trying to “evade” the FCC’s rule allowing for rival candidates to receive equal airtime.

NBC responded by airing a short message from Trump.

What was Carr's role in Project 2025?

Carr also wrote a section of the FCC’s agenda in Project 2025, a policy framework for a prospective second Trump administration from the conservative Heritage Foundation.

In Project 2025, Carr called for the FCC to overturn Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which prevents websites and social media companies from being held responsible for content posted by users of their platforms.

“Courts have construed Section 230 broadly to confer on some of the world’s largest companies a sweeping immunity that is found nowhere in the text of the statute,” Carr wrote. “They have done so in a way that nullifies the limits Congress placed on the types of actions that Internet companies can take while continuing to benefit from Section 230.”