Following Trump’s FCC threat against Kristen Welker, NBC News reacts – Kristen Welker is being defended by NBC News.
After President Donald Trump threatened to report the “Meet the Press” moderator to the Federal Communications Commission in a social media post over remarks she made regarding his political endorsement record, the network defended the moderator.In a statement provided to Sortea, an NBC News representative stated, “Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.”
Trump chastised Welker in a Truth Social post on August 30 for stating on a local station that he had “some mixed results” in his primary endorsements. The Trump attacked Welker, calling the remark a “purposeful inaccuracy,” and threatened to have her “reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment.”
Almost all of Trump’s sponsored candidates won their Republican primary in 2026, but he also supported a handful of losing candidates, including as Florida Representative Cory Mills, Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles, Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, and South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette.
Although Trump has had “some mixed results” in primary endorsements, Welker noted in her initial remarks that he will “loom large” over the approaching midterm elections and that he had recently assisted South Carolina Senator Darline Graham in winning a special runoff primary.
The FCC lacks the legal authority to prosecute Welker personally. According to the organization’s website, it licenses “only individual broadcast stations,” not radio or television networks like NBC, and its “role in overseeing program content is very limited.”According to the FCC website, “broadcasters, not the FCC or any other government agency, are responsible for selecting the material they air.” “The First Amendment and the Communications Act expressly prohibit the Commission from censoring broadcast matter.”
Trump has already expressed disapproval of Welker. The president gained notoriety in June when he left an interview with Welker on “Meet the Press” after the reporter questioned him about unfounded allegations of election fraud in California.
Following the walkout, Welker claimed to have spoken with Trump, and the president “agreed to sit down with me for another ‘Meet the Press’ interview.”
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who was chosen by former President Joe Biden, criticized Trump’s threat against Welker. The FCC “has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like,” Gomez said in an X post, adding, “These threats to press freedom are dangerous.” They have no place in our democracy and threaten its foundation.”
Gomez had previously declared her support for Disney following the company’s lawsuit against the FCC for allegedly engaging in an unconstitutional “retaliatory campaign.” The lawsuit was launched on August 18 in reaction to an FCC order requiring Disney-owned ABC to submit television station license renewals ahead of schedule. The order was issued the day after Trump demanded that Disney and ABC remove Jimmy Kimmel for making a joke about first lady Melania Trump being a “expectant widow.” Disney was charged by an FCC representative of engaging in a “ongoing campaign of disinformation.”
When longtime host Chuck Todd left NBC’s “Meet the Press” in 2023, Welker became the new host.
On his program “State of Play” on August 31, former NBC News reporter Peter Alexander of MS Now defended Welker. Referring to Trump’s remarks In his “latest assault on journalists,” Alexander noted that the “FCC does not ‘rebuke’ or ‘punish’ individual journalists” and referred to Welker as “one of the hardest working and best-sourced reporters around.” She was my teammate and coworker for over 15 years, so I should know.”
About the Author
