House Democratic leaders on Thursday trashed ABC’s decision to pull late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show off the air “indefinitely” following comments he made about late right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, vowing that “this will not be forgotten.”In a statement signed by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (Mass.), Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (Calif.), Caucus Vice Chair Ted Lieu (Calif.), Assistant Leader Joe Neguse (Colo.) and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene (Wash.), the six lawmakers said Brendan Carr, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, “has engaged in the corrupt abuse of power.”“He has disgraced the office he holds by bullying ABC, the employer of Jimmy Kimmel, and forcing the company to bend the knee to the Trump administration. FCC Chair Brendan Carr should resign immediately,” their statement reads.Carr had threatened penalties for ABC if it didn’t take action to discipline Kimmel for his comments on Monday’s show while reflecting on Kirk’s killing.“Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s war on the First Amendment is blatantly inconsistent with American values,” the House Democratic leaders added. “Media companies, such as the one that suspended Mr. Kimmel, have a lot to explain. The censoring of artists and cancellation of shows is an act of cowardice. It may also be part of a corrupt pay-to-play scheme.”“This will not be forgotten.”Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, on Thursday announced he is launching a probe into the Trump administration, ABC and Sinclair, a media company that owns local stations across the country, including a large number of ABC affiliates, citing Trump’s push to stifle dissenting voices.“We will not be silent as our freedoms are threatened by corrupt schemes and threats. Anyone who is complicit will need to answer to us,” Garcia said.Democrats in the Senate shared the sentiment, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) drawing parallels between ABC’s move to suspend Kimmel’s show and CBS’s decision earlier this summer to end “The Late Show” in May 2026. CBS leadership said the call was “purely financial,” but many speculated it was political.“First Colbert, now Kimmel,” she said. “Trump silencing free speech stifles our democracy. It sure looks like giant media companies are enabling his authoritarianism.”Meanwhile, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) said the condemnation of ABC’s move should be bipartisan.“This is about protecting democracy,” he said. “This must go to court.”Close