Who Is Brendan Carr, The Man Behind 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Show Suspension

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr

The popular late-night program "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was taken off-air last Thursday following a directive from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr.

According to Carr, Kimmel had "directly misled the American public" regarding statements about right-wing activist Charlie Kirk's death. Following Carr's recommendation, ABC affiliates promptly removed the show from their broadcasting schedule.

Carr, who was appointed by Donald Trump, emphasized that the FCC would continue holding broadcasters accountable to serve the "public interest," with the warning that licenses could be revoked for non-compliance.

President Donald Trump expressed his support for Carr, stating, "I think Brendan Carr is outstanding. He's a patriot. He loves our country, and he's a tough guy," as reported by BBC.

Born on January 5, 1979, in Washington, DC, Brendan Thomas Carr earned his Bachelor of Arts from Georgetown University in 2001. He later completed his legal education at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in 2005.

Before joining the Federal Communications Commission in 2012 as an attorney, Carr practiced law at Wiley Rein and served as a clerk for a federal judge. In 2014, he became an advisor to Commissioner Ajit Pai and was later appointed general counsel when Pai assumed the role of FCC chair in 2017.

Donald Trump nominated Carr to serve as an FCC commissioner in 2017. Following Trump's 2024 election victory, he nominated Carr again in November for the chairmanship.

During his tenure as Chair, Carr eliminated previous net neutrality regulations that had already been overturned, ensuring their complete removal. He also blocked corporate mergers involving companies that maintained diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, including the $8.4 billion Paramount-Skydance deal. This merger only received approval after Skydance agreed to terminate its DEI initiatives and commit to programming that represents diverse viewpoints.

Carr is married to Machalagh Carr, with whom he has two children.