Danielle Thumann Severs, President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as a Federal Communications Commission commissioner, declined to identify disagreements with Chair Brendan Carr at a Senate hearing focused on the agency’s actions involving ABC and Jimmy Kimmel.
Severs told the Senate Commerce Committee she would make decisions based on facts, law and the record. She said she had not worked with Carr on media matters or taken part in discussions about ABC or Kimmel.
Sen. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts asked whether the FCC could punish a broadcaster over coverage a president disliked. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois asked about broadcasters’ editorial decisions. Severs said those decisions are protected by the First Amendment and added, “I don’t think that a decision should be based purely on someone’s discontent with the content that’s being aired.”
The questions followed the FCC’s April 28 order directing The Walt Disney Company, ABC and subsidiaries to file early renewal applications for licenses covering Disney’s eight ABC stations. The stations’ licenses would not ordinarily come up for renewal until 2028 at the earliest, according to a later FCC notice. The commission said the filings would support an investigation into possible violations of federal law and FCC rules, including its ban on unlawful discrimination.
President Donald Trump had called on ABC to fire Kimmel in a Truth Social post on April 27, the day before the FCC order. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has faced scrutiny over the agency’s actions involving the broadcaster and the late-night host.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas asked whether Severs would refrain from using FCC authority to punish broadcasters for protected speech. Severs agreed. Roll Call reported that Cruz had not announced a vote date on her nomination and no markup had been announced. The Guardian reported that Luján warned Carr Democrats would call him for regular testimony after taking control of Congress in January.
