Former President Donald Trump has urged the Federal Communications Commission to take action against NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, accusing her of inaccurately characterizing his record on endorsing primary candidates ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
Trump criticized Welker after she described his endorsement outcomes as “mixed” during a recent segment preview for the Sunday broadcast on NBC’s Washington station WRC. Welker cited the example of Senate candidate Darline Graham, who recently won her primary in South Carolina and is the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, as one of Trump’s successful endorsements. She also noted that Trump has endorsed a broad slate of candidates in the primaries, indicating varied levels of success.
Responding on his social media platform, Trump contended that Welker’s assessment ignored his high endorsement win rates. He claimed a 100% success rate for Senate endorsements and 98% for House races, citing recent victories including Graham and Mike Mazzei, whom Trump endorsed in his bid for Oklahoma governor, though Mazzei is not running for a congressional seat. Trump described Welker’s comments as “purposeful inaccuracy” and accused her of abusing the public airwaves, calling on the FCC to reprimand or punish her.
NBC News issued a statement backing their journalist, calling Welker “one of the best in the business” and reaffirming their support.
The FCC, under Chairman Brendan Carr, has shown willingness to engage in matters involving broadcast media outlets perceived as unfriendly to Trump. In April, Carr initiated an early review of ABC’s television station licenses over alleged violations of federal anti-discrimination laws related to diversity policies, a move ABC has legally challenged. Observers note that pursuing action against Welker for a fact-based commentary would unlikely fall within the FCC’s regulatory authority.
According to the FCC’s guidelines, the agency’s capacity to intervene in complaints about news accuracy or bias is limited, with explicit prohibitions against censorship or infringement on press freedom under the First Amendment.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the chamber’s sole Democrat, responded to Trump’s complaints, calling them “dangerous” and a demonstration of misunderstanding the commission’s role. Writing on social media, Gomez warned that threats to the press jeopardize democratic foundations and emphasized that the FCC lacks authority to punish journalists disliked by the current administration.
Trump’s sensitivity to critiques of his endorsement record is well-documented. Comedian Bill Maher recently apologized on his HBO show “Real Time” for incorrectly claiming that nearly none of Trump’s endorsed candidates were winning their primaries. Maher acknowledged that out of 260 endorsements, only nine candidates had lost, many of whom were heavy favorites. The comedian indicated that Trump had reached out privately to express dissatisfaction over the remarks. However, Maher’s program airs on cable and streaming services, which do not fall under FCC broadcast regulations.
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between former President Trump, broadcast journalism, and the regulatory scope of the FCC as the 2024 election cycle progresses.