Ted Cruz is Right

It feels strange to write this, but Senator Ted Cruz is absolutely right, and his warning about government overreach should be a wake-up call for everyone, regardless of their political affiliation.

In the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's comments the response from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is infinitely more dangerous than anything a late-night host could ever utter. Carr, in a move that sounds like it was ripped from a mob movie script, essentially threatened to revoke ABC's broadcast licenses if they didn't silence Kimmel. As Cruz aptly put it, Carr’s "nice network you have here, it'd be a shame if something happened to it" approach is a thuggish abuse of power.

This is the very definition of a First Amendment threat.

The government, through agencies like the FCC, should never be in the business of dictating the content of news or opinion programs. The moment we allow federal officials to threaten a company’s existence because they dislike what was said on a show, we have started down a path from which there is no easy return.

Cruz correctly identifies this as a "dangerous as hell" slippery slope. If a Republican administration can threaten ABC today, what stops a future Democratic administration from using the same tactics to go after Fox News or any other conservative outlet? The principle of free speech isn't just for the speech we like; it's most important for the speech we despise.

While President Trump may defend Carr as a "patriot," his stance is profoundly shortsighted. The real patriotic move here is the one being made, surprisingly, by Ted Cruz. He is taking a principled stand for the Constitution, even if it means defending a political foe like Kimmel.

When the government gets to decide who can and cannot speak on the airwaves, everyone loses. Today, the target is Jimmy Kimmel. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.