WURTLAND — Though he may not agree with late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel on much, Kentucky Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul reiterated that the government should not be involved with taking him off the air.
The Kentucky senator was one of a few conservatives Kimmel thanked in his monologue that aired Tuesday night as he returned to his show on ABC after the network suspended him for comments he made about the death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
“Maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don’t support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway,” Kimmel said.
Kimmel also thanked another Kentucky Republican , U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Talking with reporters after a forum in Greenup County Wednesday morning, Paul said with a chuckle that it was “the first time I’ve ever been on his program.”
“I’m sure he and I probably don’t have a lot of agreements, but I don’t think the government should be involved, and I stick with that,” Paul said. “The government should not have anything to do with the content of a comedian’s monologue.”
Paul also said that if ABC felt like Kimmel had said something inappropriate, then it should have the ability to fire him.
“There are reasons why you can be fired. You have a right to speech, but you don’t have a right to employment,” Paul said. “So, it becomes complicated, but I think it’s important that people know you can still have a strong opinion. I knew Charlie Kirk very well, and I have a very strong opinion of anybody who thinks to make light of that.”
Paul had blasted Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brandon Carr’s criticism of Kimmel as “absolutely inappropriate” in a Sunday interview on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“The FCC was wrong to weigh in. And I’ll fight any — any — attempt by the government to get involved with speech. I will fight,” Paul said at the time.
Paul is traveling throughout Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District with Republican U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie Wednesday and Thursday for a mix of political and campaign events.
After Paul commented on Kimmel’s mention, Massie added that he did appreciate one of Kimmel’s jokes from last night.
“He said that the result of this is everybody was forced to watch Jimmy Kimmel’s show, and that to take attention off of this, the administration might have to release the Epstein files,” the congressman said.
Earlier Wednesday morning, Massie said that following the results of a special election in Arizona, he now has the 218 signatures to force a U.S. House vote to release the federal investigation files related to convicted sex offender and financier Jeffery Epstein.
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Written by McKenna Horsley. Cross-posted from the Kentucky Lantern.
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