Trump Demands FCC Crackdown on NBC's Kristen Welker for Honest Reporting
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Donald Trump, in another attack on press freedom, called on the FCC to punish NBC journalist Kristen Welker for accurately discussing his inconsistent endorsement record. FCC Chair Brendan Carr, known for targeting media at Trump’s behest, has not responded.
President Donald Trump once again used his social-media megaphone on Sunday to demand that NBC’s 'Meet the Press' moderator Kristen Welker be 'reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment' after she dared to state the truth about his endorsement record, calling it 'mixed results.' Trump, notorious for his hostility toward the press, insisted the FCC should intervene, labeling Welker’s factual comment as a 'purposeful inaccuracy' and pressuring Chairman Brendan Carr to take the matter 'very seriously.'
Welker’s remark, made during a local Washington, D.C., event promoting her program, referenced NBC’s own reporting that six Trump-backed candidates for House and governor seats lost their primaries—a fact widely acknowledged by other media outlets. NBC News rightly declined to dignify Trump’s authoritarian suggestion of FCC intervention with a comment.
The FCC’s own rules explicitly prohibit it from censoring viewpoints, and its power over editorial content is extremely limited. Yet, Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee with a history of weaponizing the agency against media organizations, has not addressed Trump’s latest demand. Carr has previously acted on Trump’s complaints, including targeting ABC’s licenses and launching investigations into Disney and Comcast for their diversity policies.
Former FCC officials from both parties have condemned Carr for abusing his position to attack the free press. Trump’s post, filled with his usual grievances against the media, also praised Carr and other commissioners for pursuing what he baselessly described as a threat to the nation.