Donald Trump threatened federal action against a major news anchor over a single word she used on air. The president called for FCC punishment of NBC’s Kristen Welker after she described his endorsement record in a way he disputed.
Kristen Welker called Trump’s 2026 endorsement results ‘mixed’ before he threatened to report her to the FCC
NBC’s Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker described Donald Trump’s 2026 endorsement record as “mixed results,” CNN reported. Trump then threatened on social media to report her to the FCC “because of this purposeful inaccuracy.” He wrote that Welker “just stated that Donald Trump has ‘mixed results’ on his Endorsements of Candidates.” Trump claimed his recent wins stand “at 100% for the U.S. Senate, and 98% for the U.S. House.”
NBC’s own reporting supported Welker’s characterization of Trump’s endorsement track record. The outlet noted that “six Trump-backed candidates for House and governor lost their primaries” earlier this month. Other news organizations, including CNN, also described his recent record as “mixed.” An NBC News spokesperson responded by saying, “Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.”
Trump directed his frustration at the FCC in a separate post about “fake polls.” He wrote in all caps that “something must be done about it,” adding, “FCC to the rescue!” FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
However, the FCC’s own website states the agency “cannot prevent the broadcast of any particular point of view.” Anna Gomez, the lone Democrat on the commission, pushed back against Trump’s posts. She wrote that “the FCC has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn’t like.” Gomez added, “These threats to press freedom are dangerous.”
Carr has previously taken aggressive action against FCC licensees following Trump’s complaints. He initiated an unusual challenge to ABC’s local station licenses after Trump called for Jimmy Kimmel’s firing. Disney, ABC’s parent company, filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the commission earlier this month. Carr also maintains an open investigation into NBC’s parent company, Comcast, over alleged “invidious forms of DEI discrimination.”
