FCC in turmoil as senior staff exit amid internal power struggle for Trump's blessing

President Donald Trump is struggling to maintain control of the Federal Communications Commission as internal warfare has now erupted among power brokers at the agency. Apparently, rival pro-Trump factions have been fighting for the president's favor and control over the administration's telecommunications agenda. It's another sign that personality dynamics and conflicts over the president's agenda is contributing to chaos inside his agencies. The crux of the internal drama at the FCC, which regulates the major broadcast networks that Trump has regularly raged against, stems from a clash between two top leaders over the agency's direction and leadership. Nathan Simington, who served as an FCC commissioner after being appointed by Trump, found himself at odds with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, who assumed the top job after Trump's inauguration in January. Simington resigned in June, ending his five-year tenure at the agency. And now the young protege he considered to be the future of the agency has also been exited. The rupture comes at a time when the FCC is navigating intense pressure from Trump, who continues his investigatory blitz of America's besieged broadcast networks, amping up regulatory scrutiny through a process that's become highly politicized.