In a blistering post, the US president threatened to report the ‘Meet the Press’ moderator to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling for “rebuke or punishment” after she described his endorsement track record as having “mixed results.”
When Donald Trump logs onto Truth Social, fireworks are rarely far behind, and this time, the target was veteran journalist Kristen Welker. In a blistering post, the US president threatened to report the Meet the Press moderator to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), calling for “rebuke or punishment” after she described his endorsement track record as having “mixed results.” The remark, made during a local NBC affiliate segment, was enough to trigger a full-blown tirade.
Welker had offered a relatively measured political analysis, noting Donald Trump’s influence heading into the midterms while acknowledging that not all of his endorsed candidates have succeeded. “He’s going to loom large over these midterms. There’s no doubt about that,” she said, before adding that his endorsements have seen “some mixed results.” That assessment didn’t sit well with Trump, not even slightly.
Trump fires back with FCC threat
In his response, Trump dismissed Welker as “unpopular” and accused her of spreading “purposeful inaccuracy.” He argued that his endorsement record is nearly flawless, citing recent wins by candidates like Darline Graham and Mike Mazzei as proof. “Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” he wrote, escalating the situation far beyond a typical media critique.
He went further, branding mainstream outlets as hostile forces. “The Radical Left News is going out of their way to harass, demean, and libel anything ‘TRUMP,’” he added, while claiming his endorsement success rate is “without question, the strongest… in the History of Politics.” The numbers, however, tell a more complicated story, with several Trump-backed candidates losing primaries this season.
NBC stands firm as tensions rise
Despite the president’s threats, NBC News showed no signs of backing down. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.” Their clash is hardly new. Trump and Welker have sparred repeatedly, including a tense interview earlier this year that ended abruptly after she challenged his claims about the 2020 election. Welker later defended her approach, stressing the media’s duty to hold public officials accountable and press for factual clarity.
From attack to admiration: Trump names his ‘favourite’ CNN journalist
In a twist that feels straight out of a political reality show, Trump didn’t stop at criticizing NBC. Just a day earlier, he took aim at CNN only to single out one of its own as an exception. “The best person on CNN is Pollster Harry Enten,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising the analyst for highlighting polling data showing strong support for him among Republicans. “He’s got Credibility (Don’t fire him!).”
FCC reality check: Can Trump actually act?
While Trump’s threat sounds dramatic, the Federal Communications Commission has limited authority when it comes to policing journalistic opinions. Though complaints can be filed, the agency generally does not intervene in disputes over bias or differing interpretations of facts, making any potential “punishment” unlikely.
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