Trump Threatens NBC Anchor with FCC Action Over Endorsement Coverage

On Sunday, former President Donald Trump threatened to report NBC anchor Kristen Welker to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for "rebuke or punishment" following her coverage of his endorsements of candidates for the upcoming midterm elections. The president took to his Truth Social platform to express his dissatisfaction with Welker's reporting, which described his endorsement outcomes as "mixed results."

Welker, the host of "Meet the Press," was criticized by Trump for her statement that the outcomes of his endorsements in party primaries were not uniformly successful. The president, however, insisted that the results were overwhelmingly in his favor, with a success rate of 98 to 100 percent. "Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

The FCC, which is responsible for assigning and overseeing licenses for radio and television broadcast frequencies, has been a focal point of Trump's administration. Under his leadership, the FCC has been accused of ramping up restrictions and attempting to intimidate journalists, including those who work for public media outlets.

Trump's latest attack on the media is part of a months-long offensive against news outlets that he perceives as overly critical. This campaign has faced growing resistance from news organizations and major broadcast networks, some of which have filed lawsuits against the FCC. They argue that the pressure exerted by the FCC constitutes political retaliation that violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of speech.

The relationship between Trump and Welker has been strained for months. In June, the president abruptly cut short an interview with her following a tense exchange, during which he became irritated by her questioning, particularly regarding the war against Iran. NBC News has not yet responded to a request for comment on the latest incident.

Experts argue that 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 U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed that U.S. law "does not grant the FCC the power to ban controversial speech."

Trump's administration has used American media to its advantage in the past, but as president, he has dramatically turned against the press and what he calls "fake news." He has sued several newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and ordered federal funding slashed for public media. His administration has also increased restrictions and attempts to intimidate journalists, particularly those working for the Pentagon and the FBI.

The threat to report Welker to the FCC is the latest example of the Trump administration's efforts to control the narrative and suppress critical coverage. As the midterm elections approach, it remains to be seen how far Trump will go in his efforts to silence his critics in the media.