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House Republicans this week blocked a Democrat motion to subpoena Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr after the uproar over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension, a sensible rebuke to partisan theater in Washington. The committee vote fell along party lines, and GOP members rightly refused to let Democrats turn oversight into a political smear campaign. Hardworking Americans don’t want Congress wasting time hauling down public servants for doing their jobs.
The backdrop is unmistakable: Kimmel’s recent monologues about the killing of Charlie Kirk sparked backlash, ABC pulled the show, and large affiliates like Sinclair and Nexstar moved to preempt the program amid the controversy. Chairman Carr publicly criticized Kimmel for what he said appeared to be misleading the public about key facts, and his comments helped spark a broader reckoning across broadcast partners. This wasn’t a secret plot from the right; it was a network and affiliates responding to real outrage over irresponsible commentary.
Democrats led by Rep. Ro Khanna tried to transform that reaction into a subpoena against Carr, but Republicans were right to resist. The move smacked of performative politics: instead of defending free speech, Democrats rushed to weaponize Congress to intimidate a regulator who challenged elite media narratives. Conservatives should applaud the GOP for drawing a firm line against this kind of political policing of speech.
Let’s be blunt: the mainstream media has enjoyed a monopoly on cultural influence for years and has used that power recklessly, often spreading misleading takes that inflame the country. If Kimmel misled the public about the facts surrounding a violent political killing, calling that out is not censorship, it’s accountability. Chairman Carr’s warning to broadcasters was a wake-up call that the public will not endlessly tolerate slanted, irresponsible outlets that treat opinion as fact.
Meanwhile, Democrats’ claims of a sweeping assault on free speech ring hollow coming from the same people who cheered when Silicon Valley and legacy networks silenced conservatives. If Congress is going to investigate anything, it should look at how media conglomerates have distorted the marketplace of ideas — not use subpoenas as a partisan cudgel. Americans care about the border, inflation, and jobs; they don’t want lawmakers obsessed with persecuting officials who challenge media misbehavior.
The takeaway is clear for patriotic conservatives: stand for free expression, yes, but also stand for responsibility and truth in public discourse. The GOP’s refusal to endorse this particular subpoena was a small but important defense against partisan harassment of a public official doing what he thought necessary to protect factual reporting. If Washington wants to restore trust, it should stop the political grandstanding and start defending institutions, not weaponizing them.
