Former President Donald Trump criticized journalist Kristen Welker and the news media on his platform, Truth Social, for questioning his endorsement successes. Trump claimed his endorsement record is “the strongest in the history of politics.” He took issue with Welker, who hosts NBC’s Meet the Press, for stating he had “mixed results” in endorsing candidates. Trump said he intends to report her to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for inaccurately portraying his endorsement record.
Trump stated, “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 percent for the U.S. Senate, and 98 percent for the U.S. House.” The FCC, an independent agency overseeing various media, is criticized for being more politicized during Trump’s presidency.
Newsweek reached out to NBC News and the White House via email for comments. Ballotpedia monitored Trump’s endorsement record, noting he had 305 endorsements during his initial term from 2017 to 2021. In 2026 alone, Trump endorsed 312 primary candidates, maintaining a 97% win rate up until July. Historically, Trump found more success in primaries than general elections. In 2018, his primary win rate was 95%, with a 59% general election success rate; in 2019, these were 80% and 67%, respectively. In 2020, he had a 97% success rate in primaries and 79% in general elections. In 2021, he had full success in both primaries and general elections, though he endorsed only five candidates that year.
For 2022, Trump had a 93% primary success rate out of 241 endorsements and an 84% general election success rate of the 254 endorsements. In 2023, he recorded his lowest success rate in primaries at 67%, with a general election success rate of 80%. By 2024, the primary success rate rebounded to 96%, and the general election rate rose to 89%. In 2025, he endorsed nine candidates with various success rates; this marked a 100% success rate in primary endorsements and 43% in general elections. This year, as of August 5, Trump had endorsed 313 primary candidates with a 96% success rate and 39 general election candidates, with upcoming elections affecting the current success record of 0% in general elections.
Trump’s endorsement record in major Republican primaries showed mixed but mostly positive outcomes. On August 11, Trump-backed candidates, such as Rhett Marques, Jerry Carl, and Gary Palmer, won Alabama primaries. Additionally, Tom Tiffany won the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. However, Trump’s candidate Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth. In South Carolina, Darline Graham faced a runoff after failing to secure over 50% in a special Senate primary, which she later won.
On August 18, Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds and Ashley Moody won Florida primaries, while Harriet Hageman won Wyoming’s state Senate primary. Dan Sullivan and Nick Begich III progressed in Alaska’s primary. Conversely, several Trump-backed candidates faced losses, such as Cory Mills, Catalina Lauf, and Megan Degenfelder, who were defeated by their rivals. Trump’s endorsed Mike Mazzei won Oklahoma’s gubernatorial runoff on August 25.
Compared to past presidents, Trump’s endorsement count surpasses Joe Biden’s, who endorsed far fewer candidates during his presidency. Biden’s endorsement record, tracked by Ballotpedia, shows fewer overall endorsements with varying success rates in both primary and general elections. Barack Obama, too, appeared more cautious in his endorsements during his presidency, though he did release a substantial endorsement list post-presidency in 2016.
Trump’s influence remains significant, though not unchallenged, in shaping election outcomes. According to Justin Vaughn, a political science professor, Trump is “the most important individual endorser in the nation” but explained gubernatorial races often dilute such national endorsements, focusing more on state issues and individual candidate qualities. Other insights from experts like Boleslaw Z. Kabala highlight Trump’s continued influence, noting that even without his endorsement, few candidates win by running against him. His endorsement, while powerful, isn’t guaranteed to overcome fundamental campaign challenges or candidate shortcomings.