Senator Ted Cruz launched a fierce attack on the head of the Federal Communications Commission, comparing Brendan Carr to a mobster over the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Cruz said Carr’s move to threaten ABC for Kimmel’s monologue about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was chilling and authoritarian.

The Texas senator mimicked a mafia accent, declaring Carr’s behavior was “right out of Goodfellas,” signaling his view that the broadcaster’s actions were intimidation tactics. Cruz expressed concern about the FCC abusing its power against free speech.

This marks one of the strongest condemnations by a top Republican in the widening firestorm sparked by the regulator’s crackdown on Kimmel. The debate raises broader questions about government overreach in media censorship.