Trump urges FCC to act against NBC's Kristen Welker over endorsement comments
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President Donald Trump posted on social media calling for the Federal Communications Commission to rebuke or punish NBC journalist Kristen Welker for remarks about his endorsement record, a request that FCC Chair Brendan Carr has not addressed.
President Donald Trump used his social-media platform on Sunday to ask that NBC’s "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker be "reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment" after she said his endorsement record showed "mixed results." Trump added that the FCC should intervene, writing that Welker’s comment was a "purposeful inaccuracy" and urging Chairman Brendan Carr to take the matter "very seriously."
Welker’s remark, made during a local Washington, D.C., appearance promoting the program, cited NBC reporting that six Trump-backed candidates for House and governor seats lost their primaries, a point also noted by other outlets. NBC News declined to comment on Trump’s suggestion of FCC repercussions.
The FCC’s own rules state it cannot block a specific point of view, and its authority over such editorial disputes is limited. Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has not responded to inquiries about the request. Carr has previously taken actions against broadcasters following Trump complaints, including challenges to ABC’s local licenses and investigations into Disney and Comcast over diversity policies.
Former FCC officials from both parties have criticized Carr for using the agency to target media organizations. Trump’s post also referenced broader grievances with the press, praising Carr and other commission members for addressing what he described as a threat to the nation.