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Politics

Trump demands FCC action against NBC's Kristen Welker as Treasury bars reporters from G20

The president criticized Welker over remarks about his primary endorsement record, while major outlets were denied credentials for an upcoming economic summit.

Updated Aug 30, 2026 · 18:25 UTC5 reports

The short version

  • President Donald Trump announced he would report NBC "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker to the FCC, accusing her of "purposeful inaccuracy" for describing his midterm primary endorsement results as "mixed."
  • The Treasury Department barred economics journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg from attending G20 meetings in North Carolina.
  • Legal experts and analysts note that the FCC lacks the statutory authority to regulate broadcast editorial speech or directly discipline individual journalists.

Key facts

  • President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that NBC anchor Kristen Welker should be reported to the FCC for "rebuke or punishment" after she characterized his primary endorsement results as "mixed."[Variety · Al Jazeera · The Guardian]
  • Welker's remarks were made during a local promotional preview on Washington, D.C., affiliate WRC-TV, rather than during the national Sunday broadcast of "Meet the Press."[Variety · CNBC · The Guardian]
  • Trump cited a 98 to 100 percent success rate for his endorsements, while media reports note that while the vast majority of his endorsed House and Senate candidates won their primaries, several high-profile gubernatorial candidates he backed, such as Mike Lindell in Minnesota and Randy Feenstra in Iowa, lost.[Variety · France 24 · CNBC · The Guardian]
  • The Treasury Department denied G20 summit credentials to economics reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, while granting access to nearly 300 other media members.[CNBC]
  • NBC News released a statement defending Welker, calling her "one of the best in the business."[Variety]
  • Under Chairman Brendan Carr, the FCC has increased regulatory actions against broadcasters, prompting a First Amendment lawsuit from Disney and ABC over an expedited station license renewal order.[Variety · Al Jazeera · The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains to be seen whether the FCC will take formal regulatory actions against NBCUniversal following Trump's public complaints, though analysts note the agency's authority over editorial content is strictly limited by law.[Variety · France 24 · The Guardian]

Sources