Trump says Kristen Welker of ‘Meet the Press’ will be reported to FCC

Trump notes Kristen Welker of 'Meet the Press' will be noted to FCC.

Key points

• This person then-President Joe Biden appointed in 2023, remarked in response to Trump's post that the agency "has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn't like."
• President Donald Trump abruptly walked out an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" after Kristen Welker challenged unsubstantiated election claims.
• USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment problems is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
• Trump does have a solid 2026 endorsement record, but some candidates he backed lost recent primaries.

Trump notes Kristen Welker of 'Meet the Press' will be noted to FCC. Jay Stahl USA TODAY. Donald Trump walks out of tense 'Meet the Press' interview.

President Donald Trump remarked "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker will be noted to the Federal Communications Commission over her coverage of his endorsements ahead of the midterm elections.

When the recent WINS of Darline Graham and Mike Mazzei, stand at 100% for the U.S, "Kristen Welker, the Unpopular 'Hostess' of the once great Meet the Press, now considered Meet the Fake Press, just stated that Donald Trump has 'mixed results' on his Endorsements of Candidates. Senate, and 98% for the U.S. House, " Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Aug. 30.

Trump continued: "As of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be documented to the FCC for rebuke or punishment. Unfortunately, she is not the only one."

NBC News informed USA TODAY that "Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her" in an Aug. 30 statement.

In Wyoming, Megan Degenfelder. This person leads the state's department of public instruction, lost a Republican primary for governor. Florida Rep. Cory Mills lost his reelection bid as did Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, a controversial House member. In Minnesota, longtime Trump ally and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell additionally lost a GOP primary for governor.

Donald Trump ends tense 'Meet the Press' interview, walks away from host.

Despite Trump's post, the FCC doesn't have much legal power to take action against Welker as an individual, but his comments escalate his criticism of the journalist.

When the NBC anchor pushed back on the president's comments concerning California election security, in early June, Trump created headlines when he abruptly exited a "Meet the Press" interview with Welker after a tense back-and-forth. FCC has become increasingly political, critics say.

For context, the FCC licenses individual broadcast stations, not national networks such as NBC and ABC. The agency's website notes both the First Amendment and Communications Act of 1934 prohibit it from censoring broadcast content and that its "role in overseeing program content is very limited."

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez. This person then-President Joe Biden appointed in 2023, remarked in response to Trump's post that the agency "has no authority to punish journalists this administration doesn't like."

"These threats to press freedom are dangerous, " her Aug. 30 X post remarked. "They undermine the foundation of our democracy, and they have no place in it."

Against the backdrop of two separate FCC investigations into the Disney-owned ABC, Gomez called on Disney to "fight" what she called an FCC intent on "targeting an administration critic by mob rule."

Disney and ABC filed a lawsuit on Aug. 18 over what they called an unconstitutional "retaliatory campaign" against the network. Trump's endorsed candidates almost all won 2026 Republican primaries.

Critics say the FCC has become increasingly political during Trump's second term under the leadership of Brendan Carr. This person trump referenced in the Truth Social post as he wrote that "The Press is a Disgrace to our Nation."

Though its website had previously described the FCC as an "independent U.S. Government agency overseen by Congress, " Carr remarked in a December Senate hearing that the FCC was "not an independent agency formally speaking" as of the president's power to fire commissioners. As of Aug. 30, the FCC website described it as a "U.S. Government agency overseen by Congress."

Carr had not issued a public statement on the matter as of the afternoon of Aug. 30. (This story has been updated with new information.). Contributing: Emily Condon, BrieAnna Frank.

BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].

USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment problems is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

For now, trump says Kristen Welker of Meet the Press will be reported to remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.