Jay Block, a senator from New Mexico, has expressed concerns over government actions that may infringe on free speech. His comments come in response to President Trump's call to revoke TV station licenses following the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. Block's statement was made on the social media platform X.
"I'm a Trump supporter," said Jay C Block, New Mexico State Senator from 12th District (R). "Let the free market fire him, not the government police speech. Government has no business punishing speech. Let Jimmy Kimmel speak, so we can see how stupid he is."
Trump has reiterated his desire to revoke licenses for networks he perceives as biased against him. This comes after ABC suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" due to controversial remarks made by the host. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr suggested that stations could be scrutinized under the "public interest" standard, though critics argue this raises significant First Amendment issues. Free speech advocates and FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez emphasized that content disagreements cannot be grounds for license revocation, according to PBS Newshour.
Attempts to strip broadcast licenses in the United States are uncommon. The FCC recently dismissed Trump's 2024 demand to revoke ABC’s licenses over a presidential debate dispute, ruling that political disagreements do not justify such actions. This decision underscores the strong legal protections for media independence despite political pressure, as reported by Reuters.
Globally, media licensing practices vary significantly. Democracies like the UK, Canada, and Germany limit license revocations to severe violations such as hate speech or incitement. In contrast, authoritarian states such as Turkey, Russia, and China often use licensing as a tool to suppress dissent. This contrast highlights the U.S. system’s safeguards against politically motivated interference, according to Freedom House.
Jay C. Block was born on November 9, 1970, and is a Republican representing New Mexico’s 12th Senate District since 2025. Before his tenure in the Senate, he served on the Sandoval County Commission from 2016 to 2024 and worked as a U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons officer before transitioning into defense consulting and politics. He supports pro-Second Amendment policies and opposes abortion and transgender rights while promoting "right-to-work" laws, according to the New Mexico Senate GOP.
