President Donald Trump used his Truth Social platform on Sunday to declare that NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker will be reported to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Trump said Welker’s description of his primary endorsement record as producing “mixed results” was a purposeful inaccuracy that should be punished by the FCC.
“Kristen Welker, the Unpopular ‘Hostess’ of the once great Meet the Press, now considered Meet the Fake Press, just stated that Donald Trump has ‘mixed results’ on his endorsements of candidates, when the recent wins of Darline Graham and Mike Mazzei stand at 100% for the U.S. Senate and 98% for the U.S. House,” Trump wrote. “Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment.”
Welker did not make the remark during the Sunday broadcast of Meet the Press. The comment was made earlier in a live preview on NBC4 Washington, where she noted that Trump had endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries and that his record included “some mixed results.” She cited the recent primary victory of Senator Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, as an example of a successful endorsement.
“He’s going to loom large over these midterms. There’s no doubt about that. He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries. He’s had some mixed results, but most recently, his pick of Senator Darline Graham, of course, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was successful in her primary battle,” Welker said.
Trump’s endorsement track record
A Fox News tracker released Thursday shows that candidates backed by Trump have won all 24 Republican Senate primaries in which he endorsed a candidate and 214 of 218 House primaries, yielding a 100% Senate success rate and roughly a 98% House success rate. The two most recent victories cited were Graham’s win over Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolina’s Senate runoff and former state Senator Mike Mazzei’s narrow victory for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Oklahoma.
The tracker also recorded wins for 16 of Trump’s 21 gubernatorial picks. Defeated candidates included former South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Minnesota entrepreneur Mike Lindell, and Wyoming education official Megan Degenfelder.
Responses from NBC and media analysts
NBC News issued a statement defending Welker, calling her “one of the best in the business” and standing by her. The network’s spokesperson said NBC would not be intimidated by the President’s threat.
Media analyst Brian Stelter of CNN criticized the move, suggesting Trump was attempting to weaponize the FCC against a journalist for unfavorable coverage. “By law, the FCC can’t punish Welker,” Stelter posted on X, adding that the FCC’s authority is limited to individual stations, not entire networks, and requires proof of deliberate intent to mislead.
FCC’s role and potential impact
The FCC licenses individual broadcast stations and evaluates complaints based on whether a broadcaster deliberately intended to deceive viewers. While the commission can consider a station’s public‑interest record during license renewal, it does not have the power to punish a network anchor for an opinion expressed on a news program.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has previously warned that repeated news distortion could affect license renewal decisions, but any action would require a formal investigation and clear evidence of intentional falsehood.
What this means for the media landscape
Trump’s threat underscores the ongoing tension between the administration and major news outlets. Supporters view the President’s move as a defense of truthful reporting and a call for accountability, while critics see it as an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
As the midterm elections approach, the President continues to emphasize his influence over the Republican ticket, asserting that his endorsement record remains the strongest in modern politics.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
