Trump calls for 'punishment' of NBC reporter / Photo: © AFP
Trump calls for 'punishment' of NBC reporter
President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened a prominent NBC broadcast journalist with possible punishment by US media regulators as the Republican expressed disappointment with coverage of his candidate endorsements ahead of November's midterm elections.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to attack Kristen Welker as the "unpopular 'hostess' of the once great Meet the Press" talk show.
He objected to her having said the president had had "mixed results" on his endorsement of political candidates in party primaries, insisting the races had gone his way 98 percent to 100 percent of the time.
Welker, speaking early Sunday to a local NBC affiliate, said Trump would "loom large over these midterms."
When it came to endorsements, she added, he "had some mixed results, but most recently, his pick of Senator Darline Graham... was successful in her primary battle."
Trump, in his comments, said "because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment". The Federal Communications Commission assigns and oversees licenses for radio and television broadcast frequencies.
"Unfortunately, she is not the only one," he added. "The Radical Left News is going out of their way to harass, demean, and libel anything 'TRUMP.'"
Welker is an award-winning journalist who earned bipartisan praise after moderating a 2020 presidential debate featuring Trump and Joe Biden, the Democrat who won that year's election.
An NBC News spokesperson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, defended Welker on Sunday, telling AFP that "Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her."
- Lawsuits and restrictions -
Trump's endorsements overall have proved helpful for Republican candidates running for statewide office.
But his approval ratings have slid, and at least 10 of Trump's picks have been defeated this cycle, according to a tally compiled by Ballotpedia. They include four US House hopefuls and six candidates for governor, among them conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell in Minnesota.
Billionaire Trump has used American media to his advantage over the years as a provocative real estate developer in New York. But as president he dramatically turned against the press and what he called "fake news."
He has sued several newspapers including the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and ordered federal funding slashed for public media.
His administration has ramped up restrictions and attempts to intimidate journalists, and the FCC -- headed by a close Trump associate -- has pressured broadcasters to toe the line.
"I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very seriously," Trump said.
The latest attack is part of the Trump administration's months-long offensive against media outlets it deems overly critical.
Such efforts are facing growing resistance from news organizations and major broadcast networks. Several of them have filed lawsuits against the FCC, arguing such pressure constitutes political retaliation that violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech.
Relations between Trump and Welker have been under pressure for months. In June the president abruptly cut short an interview with her following a tense exchange, during which he grew irritated by Welker's questioning, particularly on the war against Iran.
Experts argue the FCC lacks the legal authority to punish broadcasters or reporters for their viewpoints.
According to a 2025 paper by the Yale Journal on Regulation, the US Supreme Court has confirmed that US law "does not grant the FCC the power to ban controversial speech."
(G.Khurtin--DTZ)
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