In Latest Threat Of Regulatory Retaliation, Donald Trump Says He'll Report NBC News' Kristen Welker To FCC For "Rebuke Or Punishment"
Deadline
β’Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:03:11 +0000
π° What Happened
Donald Trump went off on NBC News' Kristen Welker on Sunday, vowing on Truth Social to report her to the FCC for 'rebuke or punishment' over a comment that his endorsement record has had 'mixed results'. The comment was made in an appearance on Washington, D.C. affiliate WRC-TV - not on Meet the Press - and analysts note it was factually defensible: Darline Graham won her South Carolina primary, while Trump-backed candidates such as Mike Lindell and Rep. Andy Ogles recently lost their races. NBC said 'Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.'
π The Backstory
The threat comes as the FCC, under chairman Brendan Carr, faces a lawsuit from ABC alleging regulatory retaliation, after ordering ABC's eight owned stations to submit their broadcast licenses for early renewal; a judge hears arguments in October. The FCC's own guidance says it does not investigate 'differences of opinion over the truth or validity of aspects of a news program', and commissioner Anna Gomez said the agency 'has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn't like'.
π― Why It Matters
It's the latest flashpoint in Trump's pressure campaign on broadcasters, raising press-freedom concerns as the US midterms approach. The episode tests whether the FCC can be used to punish news outlets over perceived slights - a question now before the courts.
Donald Trump went off on NBC News' Kristen Welker on Sunday, vowing on Truth Social to report her to the FCC for 'rebuke or punishment' over a comment that his endorsement record has had 'mixed results'. The comment was made in an appearance on Washington, D.C. affiliate WRC-TV - not on Meet the Press - and analysts note it was factually defensible: Darline Graham won her South Carolina primary, while Trump-backed candidates such as Mike Lindell and Rep. Andy Ogles recently lost their races. NBC said 'Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.'
The threat comes as the FCC, under chairman Brendan Carr, faces a lawsuit from ABC alleging regulatory retaliation, after ordering ABC's eight owned stations to submit their broadcast licenses for early renewal; a judge hears arguments in October. The FCC's own guidance says it does not investigate 'differences of opinion over the truth or validity of aspects of a news program', and commissioner Anna Gomez said the agency 'has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn't like'.
It's the latest flashpoint in Trump's pressure campaign on broadcasters, raising press-freedom concerns as the US midterms approach. The episode tests whether the FCC can be used to punish news outlets over perceived slights - a question now before the courts.