President Donald Trump announced on Sunday his intention to report Kristen Welker, host of NBC’s ‘Meet the Press,’ to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for potential disciplinary action. This follows Welker’s remarks about Trump’s endorsement record, describing it as yielding ‘mixed results.’
Welker had stated, according to NBC reporting, that Trump endorsed a varied lineup of candidates in the primaries, achieving mixed outcomes. Trump’s reaction was broadcasted on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he highlighted the recent election victories of Darline Graham and Mike Mazzei. He argued these wins reflected a 100% success rate for U.S. Senate endorsements and 98% for the U.S. House, both recently and historically.
“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.
Trump questioned the appropriateness of Welker’s remarks on public airwaves, calling them intentionally inaccurate and arguing for her reporting to the FCC. NBC News defended Welker, emphasizing her reputation and professionalism.
The statement from an NBC News spokesperson affirmed that Kristen is regarded as one of the best in the business, and they maintain their support for her.
Trump’s statements amplify ongoing tension between him and several media entities. His critique of news outlets involved disparaging remarks towards ABC, CBS, and CNN, referring to them as ‘crooked.’
Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media analyst, criticized Trump’s call for FCC intervention. Stelter viewed it as an attempt to leverage the FCC against an unfavorable portrayal. He noted that the FCC, by law, lacks authority to penalize Welker for her statement.
“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 didn’t like about his endorsement record,” Stelter shared on social media.
A Fox News report showed that Trump’s endorsement records boast full success in 24 Republican Senate primary races and a high success rate in House races. Significant wins included Graham and Mazzei’s victories, reflecting Trump’s robust endorsement strategy. Trump’s appeals extended to urging FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to seriously consider the matter.
Trump expressed frustration at media representations, arguing that his endorsement record stands as the strongest historically, contrary to claims of mixed outcomes. He called upon Carr and the FCC to seriously address perceived threats from news distortion.
The FCC, tasked with station licensing, distinguishes deliberate distortion from opinion differences, making punitive actions towards network personnel challenging without clear intent evidence.
Fox News Digital contacted the FCC for comment, but no immediate response was available.