Brendan Carr isn’t subtle. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he warned Disney and ABC broadcasters over comments made by comedian Jimmy Kimmel about Charlie Kirkʼs murder. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission threatened ABC’s FCC licenses — the kiss of death for a broadcaster.

“These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or,” he threatened, ominously, “there's going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” Disney, ABC’s parent company, promptly suspended Kimmel “to avoid further inflaming a tense situation.” That is, to avoid further inflaming Carr and President Donald Trump.

Even Carr’s fellow Republicans were aghast. “Absolutely inappropriate” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) went further: “It is unbelievably dangerous for government to … say[ ] we’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying.” Cruz compared Carr to a “mafioso,” calling Carrʼs threats........

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