Republicans in office, meanwhile, have mostly demurred or said the issue was between Kimmel, ABC and its parent company Disney. But Cruz, who called Kimmel’s firing a “fantastic thing”, nonetheless said Carr’s involvement was mafia-esque and sets a dangerous precedent. “I hate what Jimmy Kimmel said,” Cruz said. Cruz said a defamation lawsuit against Kimmel or ABC would have been a preferable approach. “It might feel good right now to threaten Jimmy Kimmel,” Cruz said.