Trump Demands FCC Punish NBC's Kristen Welker Over Comments

President Trump called this week for the Federal Communications Commission to punish Kristen Welker, host of NBC's Meet the Press, after she said in televised remarks that Trump has a "mixed record" on endorsements this year.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Welker's comments amounted to "purposeful inaccuracy" and said she "will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment." He added: "The Press is a Disgrace to our Nation, and I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very seriously," followed by "FCC to the rescue."

According to reporting cited in a Guardian column by Margaret Sullivan, Trump has a 100% record in Senate Republican primary contests this cycle, but several of his high-profile gubernatorial picks have lost — a record columnist Sullivan describes as consistent with Welker's characterization.

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has previously said he would use the commission's licensing power against what he and the president call "fake news." The Washington Post has noted the FCC has not revoked a broadcast license in more than 40 years and lacks authority to do so over a disagreement with a station's viewpoint.

The episode follows other tensions between the administration and broadcasters. ABC has sued the FCC, alleging the agency's review of eight local broadcast licenses violates the First Amendment. Reporters from three major news organizations were also barred from covering recent G20 meetings, and journalists at Stars and Stripes have been fired.

Trump has previously clashed with Welker, telling her in an interview earlier this year: "You're either crooked or you're stupid." NBC has defended Welker, and any FCC action against her or the network would likely face a First Amendment challenge.