President Donald Trump called on Sunday for the Federal Communications Commission to rebuke or punish NBC journalist Kristen Welker after she described his endorsement record as having “mixed results” in an on-air commentary, according to Politico and The Guardian.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Welker, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” made a “purposeful inaccuracy” when she characterized his primary endorsements this election cycle as mixed. He pointed to recent wins by South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham and Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei as evidence of his endorsement strength.
Welker made the comment during a live shot on NBC’s Washington D.C. affiliate ahead of Sunday’s “Meet the Press” broadcast, not during the show itself. “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, according to Politico. Trump’s statement called for FCC Chair Brendan Carr and the commission to “take this Threat to our Country very seriously.”
Trump’s claim that his endorsements carry overwhelming success does have factual support. According to The Guardian, Trump’s endorsements resulted in a 98 percent success rate for House candidates and 100 percent for Senate candidates in the 2026 election cycle. However, Welker’s characterization was not entirely inaccurate—Trump-backed candidates have lost notable races, including Rep. Cory Mills in Florida and Rep. Andy Ogles in Tennessee, as Politico reported.
The FCC cannot legally punish Welker for her editorial commentary. The agency is barred by the First Amendment from regulating news content or journalists’ speech, according to the FCC’s own guidance and multiple legal experts cited in recent coverage. The agency has limited authority over broadcast content and is prohibited from censorship, as noted by the Freedom Forum and the FCC’s official materials on free speech.
This is not Trump’s first attempt to use FCC threats against media outlets he views as hostile. In 2025, FCC Chair Brendan Carr, appointed by Trump, reportedly pressured television stations to pre-empt Jimmy Kimmel’s show after the ABC host made a comment about conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, according to The Guardian. ABC and CBS also settled multimillion-dollar lawsuits with Trump during his second presidency. In August 2026, ABC sued the FCC, claiming the agency was conducting an early license review of eight of its stations as retaliation for the network’s editorial coverage.
Welker and Trump have had a contentious relationship. In June 2026, Trump abruptly ended an interview with her in Wisconsin after she pressed him on his claims of “crooked elections,” according to Politico. He has also previously criticized her for questioning then-Senator Markwayne Mullin about a chat leak detailing Pentagon war plans.
Trump has increasingly targeted female journalists with personal attacks. In August 2026, the White House “rapid response” account launched personal insults at CNN reporter Kristen Holmes after she questioned the president during a press conference, according to Politico. New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman told The Hill in August that Trump’s attacks on female reporters are “much nastier” than his attacks on male journalists.
Sources
- Politico — Trump’s Truth Social post calling for FCC action, details of Welker’s preshow comment, Trump’s endorsement record claims, and history of Trump-Welker confrontations.
- The Guardian — Trump’s FCC threat, Welker’s specific on-air statement, Trump’s endorsement success rates (98 percent for House, 100 percent for Senate), precedent of FCC pressure on Jimmy Kimmel and ABC, ABC’s lawsuit against the FCC.
- Al Jazeera — Trump’s Truth Social post details, Trump’s history of multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuits against news outlets, and the administration’s attempts to compel reporters to reveal sources.
- The Hill — Maggie Haberman’s statement on Trump’s attacks on female reporters being “much nastier.”
- Freedom Forum — FCC’s legal limitations under the First Amendment regarding broadcast regulation.
- FCC official materials — The agency’s authority to regulate broadcast content and prohibition on censorship of news.
