President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker would be reported to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for potential punishment after she characterized his primary endorsement record as producing mixed results.
“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, recently and over the longterm,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
“How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves? Results are attached,” Trump continued. “Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment. Unfortunately, she is not the only one.”
NBC News defended Welker in a statement to on Sunday, backing its “Meet the Press” moderator following Trumps threat.
TRUMP STORMS OFF ‘MEET THE PRESS’ INTERVIEW, RIPS WELKER, ABC, CBS, CNN AS ‘CROOKED’
“Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her,” an NBC News spokesperson said.
Welker did not make the remark during Sundays “Meet the Press” broadcast. She made it earlier on Sunday during a live preview appearance on NBC4 Washington, saying Trump had endorsed “a slate of candidates in the primaries” and “had some mixed results.”
Welker, citing NBC reporting, predicted Trump would “loom large” over the midterms and immediately cited as his most recent endorsement success.
“Hes 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 , was successful in her primary battle, so now she takes on Dr. Annie Andrews in South Carolina,” Welker said.
FROM ABC LICENSE REVIEWS TO COMEY INDICTMENTS, TRUMP’S REGULATORY WAR ON CRITICS ENTERS NEW PHASE
CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter criticized Trumps demand Sunday, characterizing it as an effort to use the FCC against a journalist over unfavorable coverage.
“Trump is getting more explicit about weaponizing the FCC. This morning he said @kwelkernbc will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment for saying something he didnt like about his endorsement record. (By law, the FCC cant punish Welker.) And thats not all…” Stelter posted to X.
A published Thursday found Trump-backed candidates had won all 24 Republican Senate primaries in which he endorsed and 214 of 218 House primaries, producing a 100% Senate success rate and a roughly 98% House rate.
The two victories Trump identified came Tuesday. Graham defeated Rep. Ralph Norman in South Carolinas Senate runoff, while former state Sen. Mike Mazzei Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond by approximately 2,000 votes for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
The Fox News tracker recorded victories for 16 of Trump
