President Donald Trump on Sunday escalated his ongoing feud with the press by threatening NBC journalist Kristen Welker with potential Federal Communications Commission sanctions over her reporting on his candidate endorsements.
Using his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized Welker, calling her the “unpopular ‘hostess’ of the once great Meet the Press,” after she stated that his record endorsing candidates in Republican primaries had produced mixed results. Trump disputed her assessment, claiming his endorsed candidates won “98 percent to 100 percent” of the time.
“Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” Trump wrote, referring to the federal agency that oversees broadcast licensing.
“Unfortunately, she is not the only one. The Radical Left News is going out of their way to harass, demean, and libel anything ‘TRUMP,'” he added.
Trump, a former real estate developer who leveraged media attention for decades, has increasingly turned against the press since taking office, labeling critical outlets as “fake news” and pursuing legal action against major publications including the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
His administration has implemented tighter restrictions on press access and sought to influence media coverage through various channels, including the FCC leadership, which Trump appointed.
“I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very Seriously,” Trump wrote in his post.
This latest confrontation is part of a broader pattern of pressure exerted by Trump and his allies against news organizations perceived as hostile to his agenda. Major broadcast networks and news companies have pushed back against these efforts, with several filing lawsuits challenging FCC oversight as unconstitutional political retaliation.
Relations between Trump and Welker have been strained for months. In June, Trump abruptly ended an interview with her after a tense exchange regarding U.S. policy toward Iran.
NBC News has not responded publicly to Trump’s threats.
Legal experts have noted that the FCC has historically lacked the authority to penalize journalists or broadcasters for editorial content or political viewpoints. A 2025 paper published by the Yale Journal on Regulation cites Supreme Court precedent affirming that U.S. law prohibits the FCC from banning controversial speech based on political bias.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
