We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way.

Sounds like the words of a mob boss in Goodfellas, but they aren't.

They're the words of a boss of sorts.

The chairman of the Federal Communications

Commission uttered in a warning made on a right-wing podcast to a television network and its

independently owned local affiliate stations about a monologue delivered by a late-night

comedian and satirist. Frankly, when you see stuff like this, I mean, look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.

These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know,

there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead. Now, you may not know that guy who just said

that. He's probably one of the most important

people in government right now. Brendan Carr is his name. He was the guy talking on the right

side of the screen. He's the head of the agency that regulates U.S. licensed communications on

broadcast TV and radio. And he was responding to a monologue by ABC's Jimmy Kimmel about the

MAGA reaction to the alleged

shooter of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk. To be clear, in the wake of Charlie Kirk's

murder, Kimmel took to social media to condemn the killing. The comments on his show were about

political characterizations around the alleged killer's motives. Carr accused Kimmel of spreading misinformation and warned ABC and its parent company, Disney,

that they could be held accountable under regulatory power.

Five hours after Carr made those comments, right-leaning broadcaster Nextstar,

the owner of 32 ABC stations, announced that it would pull Kimmel's show from their

affiliates across the country. Nextstar's broadcasting president, Andrew Alford, called Kimmel's

remarks offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our nation's political discourse.

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