Trump Fuming at NBC Journalist, Demands FCC Sanctions; NBC Responds
US President Donald Trump has launched a fierce attack against NBC News journalist Kristen Welker, calling on the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take action against her. Trump’s anger was triggered by Welker’s comment describing the results of candidates supported by the president in the pre-election primaries for the 2026 midterms as “mixed.”
In a post on Truth Social on Sunday (30/8/2026), Trump accused the ‘Meet the Press’ moderator of “deliberate inaccuracy.” He went as far as to state that Welker would be reported to the FCC to face a “reprimand or punishment.”
Trump also questioned how such comments could be broadcast via networks using public frequencies. He subsequently referred to the press as a disgrace to the United States and directly called on FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to address the matter seriously. “Because of this deliberate inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC to receive a reprimand or punishment,” Trump stated in his post.
The attack originated from a brief comment made by Welker during a live broadcast on WRC-TV, an NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C., prior to the airing of ‘Meet the Press’. While discussing Trump’s influence on the upcoming November by-elections, Welker noted that the president had endorsed several candidates in the primaries and achieved “some mixed results.” This comment was not actually made during the subsequent episode of ‘Meet the Press’.
NBC News immediately defended Welker. “Kristen is one of the best in the field and we stand by her,” an NBC spokesperson said, as quoted by Reuters.
Trump vehemently denied the depiction that his endorsed candidates had achieved mixed results. He claimed his support constitutes one of the most powerful political endorsements in history, pointing to the high victory rate of his chosen candidates in Republican primaries.
Data does indeed show that a vast majority of candidates supported by Trump won their primaries. However, the picture is more complex than a simple high victory percentage.
An analysis by The New York Times on 26 August noted that Trump has endorsed at least 260 candidates for the House, Senate, and governorship throughout the 2026 primary cycle. Of that number, at the time the analysis was published, only nine candidates had lost. However, most of Trump’s chosen candidates were incumbents or running in relatively safe contests, including unopposed elections.
Consequently, while Trump’s claim regarding a very high victory rate is based on overall figures, Welker’s mention of “mixed” results is not without merit, as several candidates supported by Trump did indeed suffer defeats.