'Call that free speech or not': Trump contradicts his own team on Jimmy Kimmel 'firing'

President Donald Trump's reasons for the firing of late-night host Jimmy Kimmel are conflicting with statements from Federal Communications Commission Chairman (FCC) Brendan Carr, who spoke on CNBC Thursday morning.

Trump spoke at a press conference in the U.K. where he was asked about whether free speech was at risk more in the U.S. or the U.K. citing Kimmel in the question.

"Well, Jimmy Kimmel was fired because he had bad ratings more than anything else," said Trump. "And he said a horrible thing about a great gentleman known as Charlie Kirk. And Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent."

Carr told “Squawk on the Street" that Kimmel was fired because "lots and lots of people were upset," and it "was not a joke."

“It was not making fun,” claimed Carr.

The report noted that mere hours before Kimmel's show was set to air, Carr suggested he might take action against ABC and its parent company, Disney.

“It was appearing to directly mislead the American public about a significant factthat probably one of the most significant political events we’ve had in a long time, for the most significant political assassination we’ve seen in a long time,” Carr said.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Carr said on the far-right Benny Show, Wednesday. "These companies can find ways to change conduct and take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead."

The quote from Kimmel alleged that there were people in the MAGA movement trying to score political points over the slaying of Charlie Kirk.

"The MAGA gang [is] desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it," the exact quote from Kimmel read.