Up to date Aug. 30, 2026, 12:49 p.m. ET
President Donald Trump stated “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker can be reported to the Federal Communications Fee over her protection of his endorsements forward of the midterm elections.
“Kristen Welker, the Unpopular ‘Hostess’ of the as soon as nice Meet the Press, now thought of Meet the Faux Press, simply said that Donald Trump has ‘blended outcomes’ on his Endorsements of Candidates, when the latest WINS of Darline Graham and Mike Mazzei, stand at 100% for the U.S. Senate, and 98% for the U.S. Home,” Trump wrote in a Fact Social publish on Aug. 30.
USA TODAY has reached out to NBC for remark.
Trump added, “Due to this purposeful inaccuracy, she can be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment. Sadly, she is just not the one one.”
Regardless of Trump’s publish, the FCC would not have a lot authorized energy to take motion towards Welker as a person, however his feedback escalate his criticism of the journalist.
In early June, Trump made headlines when he abruptly exited an “MTP” interview with Welker after a tense back-and-forth, when the NBC anchor pushed again on the president’s feedback about California election safety.
FCC has change into more and more political, critics say
The FCC licenses particular person broadcast stations, not nationwide networks similar to NBC and ABC. The company’s web site says each the First Modification and Communications Act of 1934 prohibit it from censoring broadcast content material and that its “position in overseeing program content material could be very restricted.”
Disney and ABC sued the company over what they referred to as an unconstitutional “retaliatory marketing campaign” towards the community in an Aug. 18 lawsuit.
Critics say the FCC has change into more and more political throughout Trump’s second time period underneath the management of Brendan Carr, who Trump referenced within the Fact Social publish as he wrote that “The Press is a Shame to our Nation.”
Although its web site had beforehand described the FCC as an “impartial U.S. authorities company overseen by Congress,” Carr stated in a December Senate listening to that the FCC was “not an impartial company formally talking” as a result of of the president’s energy to fireplace commissioners. As of Aug. 30, the FCC web site described it as a “U.S. authorities company overseen by Congress.”
Trump does have a sturdy 2026 endorsement file, however some candidates he supported misplaced latest primaries.
In Wyoming, Megan Degenfelder, who leads the state’s division of public instruction, misplaced in a Wyoming Republican main for governor. Rep. Cory Mills misplaced his reelection bid in Florida as did Tennessee congressman Andy Ogles, a controversial Home member. In Minnesota, longtime Trump ally and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell additionally misplaced a GOP main for governor.
Contributing: Emily Condon
