Brendan Carr denies Trump's pressure prompted review of Disney licenses

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The FCC chair said an investigation into Disney's diversity practices drove the decision.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the fight with Disney is part of a long-running investigation into its diversity practices. | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Brendan Carr on Thursday denied that his decision to haul in Disney’s broadcast licenses for an early review was a response to the White House’s call for late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s firing.

“This is a decision that we made inside this building, based on where we were in the enforcement matter,” the Federal Communications Commission chair said during a press conference, marking his first comments about the dispute. “There was no pressure from the outside. There was no suggestion from the outside. There was no call for agency action from the outside.”