President Donald Trump threatened to seek action from the Federal Communications Commission against NBC News’ "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker. The threat came after Welker characterized Trump’s record of political endorsements as producing "mixed results." NBC News is owned by Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSA).
Trump Threatens FCC Action Against Welker
On Sunday, Trump criticized Welker in a post on Truth Social, disputing her assessment and arguing that his endorsed candidates have performed far better than the description suggests.
He cited recent victories by Darline Graham (R-S.C.) and Mike Mazzei, claiming his endorsement success rate stands at 100% for U.S. Senate candidates and 98% for U.S. House candidates. Trump also touted an overall success rate of 99%.
"How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves?" Trump wrote, referring to Welker’s comment.
The President called Welker’s characterization a "purposeful inaccuracy" and said she "will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment."
He also accused the broader news media of seeking to "harass, demean, and libel anything ‘TRUMP.’"
Trump argued that several candidates he backed were considered unlikely to win before receiving his endorsement.
He pointed to Graham’s Senate victory and another Oklahoma candidate’s win as examples, saying both received insufficient media coverage.
Trump urged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and the commission to take this "Threat to our Country" seriously.
NBC News did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comments.
NBC Defends Welker
An NBC News spokesperson defended Welker, saying in a statement to The Hill, "Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her."
CNN’s Brian Stelter said Welker made her comments about Trump’s "mixed" endorsement results during a pre-Meet the Press live shot on NBC’s Washington, D.C., affiliate WRC, while NBC had reported that six Trump-backed House and gubernatorial candidates lost their August primaries.
Trump Criticized ABC, NBC
Last year, Trump criticized ABC News and NBC, calling them "the most biased" networks and suggesting the FCC revoke their licenses.
He accused the networks of producing overwhelmingly negative coverage of him and Republicans.
He questioned why ABC and NBC were not paying millions of dollars in annual license fees and suggested they either face license revocation or pay for the use of public airwaves.
Trump also accused the networks of effectively operating as arms of the Democratic Party and described them as a "real threat to democracy."
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