Trump Opens a New Front in His War on Journalism—Over Just Two Words

President Trump, seen here with FCC chair Brendan Carr, wants the commission to "rebuke or punish" Meet the Press host Kristen Welker over comments she made on Sunday.Brandon Bell/AP Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily. On Sunday, President Trump said that NBC News’ Meet the Press host Kristen Welker will be “reported” to the Federal Communications Commissions for “rebuke or punishment,” claiming she said that the candidates he endorsed had “mixed results” in this election cycle—despite the FCC having no such jurisdiction. “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, when the recent WINS of Darline Graham and Mike Mazzei, ⁠stand at 100% for the U.S. Senate, and 98% for the U.S. ​House,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Press is a Disgrace to our Nation, and I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very seriously.” According to CNN’s Brian Stelter, Welker mentioned Trump’s “mixed” endorsement outcomes only during a pre-show live shot on NBC’s Washington, DC, affiliate station, not during the main broadcast itself. In his Truth Social post, Trump boasted that he has a 98.35 percent congressional endorsement record in 2026 Republican primaries. But Welker only cited previous NBC News reporting that notes that six Trump-backed candidates lost House and gubernatorial primaries in August. According to an analysis by USA Today, as of Sunday, Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidates have fared worse than congressional candidates, only winning 79 percent of the time. “He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries. He’s had some mixed results,” Welker said on NBC 4 Washington. “But most recently, his pick of Senator Darline Graham, of course, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was successful in her primary battle.” It sounds like a reasonable statement, especially as Welker explains later in the same remarks that Trump’s approval rating is at a record low over his second term as key issues like affordability remain largely unaddressed. Trump’s threat is another escalation of his long-running assault on journalism—going after Welker personally as opposed to demanding the FCC crack down on networks like ABC, as has happened most often. The FCC cannot legally punish Welker individually, as it regulates public broadcast licenses. ABC, and its corporate parent Disney, sued the FCC earlier this month, asserting that the Trump administration violated free speech rights by challenging its licenses over its news coverage and views presented on talks shows. And as my colleague Noah Lanard reported, FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened to revoke licenses for broadcasters “running hoaxes and news distortions” of the ongoing Iran War in March while pointing to Trump’s complaint about the reporting from “Fake News Media.” And Noah’s point is a good one: “The goal is obvious: Turn independent news outlets into state propaganda machines.”