WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that NBC's Kristen Welker should be reported to the Federal Communications Commission for 'rebuke or punishment.' The demand followed a broadcast segment in which Welker described the president's record of endorsing political candidates as having mixed results.

Kristen Welker is the host of NBC's 'Meet the Press.' She made the comments during a live segment on WRC-TV, an NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. Trump accused Welker of 'purposeful inaccuracy' regarding his endorsement record in response to the broadcast.

Trump referred to Welker as the 'Unpopular \'Hostess\' of … Meet the Fake Press' in a social media post. He urged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and the commission to take this threat to our country very seriously. Trump claimed a 100% success rate in Republican Senate primaries and a 98% success rate in Republican House primaries.

Several candidates backed by Trump lost their primary contests. Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth. The Minnesota Supreme Court rejected Mike Lindell's bid for a recount of the gubernatorial primary results on August 15, 2026. Randy Feenstra lost the Iowa gubernatorial primary, and Andy Ogles lost the Tennessee gubernatorial primary.

Cory Mills lost his reelection bid in Florida. Megan Degenfelder lost the Wyoming gubernatorial primary. Other candidates secured victories in their races.

Darline Graham won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in South Carolina. Mike Mazzei won the Republican primary for Governor of Oklahoma.

NBC issued a statement saying, '"Kristen is one of the best in the business, and we stand by her."' Media reporter Brian Stelter stated that the FCC can’t punish Welker because it has limited power … by design. Stelter noted the regulatory constraints on the agency's authority over individual journalists.

Trump said the press is a disgrace to our nation. He asked how anyone could be allowed to make such statements while working for freely given public airwaves. The president also posted that the fake polls used by our crooked media are out of control, and something must be done about it, adding that the FCC should come to the rescue.

Trump said the radical left news is going out of their way to harass, demean, and libel anything 'TRUMP.' He noted that unfortunately, she is not the only one. The president concluded his remarks on the matter by thanking recipients for their attention to this very important matter of fake polls and commentary.

Trump said his endorsements are, without question, the strongest in the history of politics. He also posted that his endorsements are stronger than ever and that there has never been anything close. These statements contradicted the characterization of his record as mixed.

Welker had previously hosted Trump for an interview in June 2026. Trump walked out of the interview after being asked about his pledge of 'no new wars.' During that encounter, Trump said, '"You’re a one-sided crooked network. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time."'

Trump said at the time that the press should be straightened out, adding that a country can never be great with a dishonest press. The tension between the president and the network continued into August. Bill Maher apologized to Trump for claiming the president was winning almost none of his endorsements on August 14, 2026.

A guest analyst on 'Meet the Press' stated, '"the single most important factor in who the Republican nominee will be in [the presidential election of] 2028 will be who Donald Trump endorses."' Welker said during the August segment, '"He's going to loom large over these midterms. There's no doubt about that. He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries. He's had some mixed results."'

Trump has pursued legal action against several media organizations during his second presidency. Trump has won private settlements from ABC and CBS totaling more than $30 million. Paramount paid $16 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris.

Courts have dismissed other lawsuits filed by the president. A federal judge dismissed Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times. A federal judge dismissed Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal. Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.

Why It Matters

The dispute shows the ongoing conflict between the executive branch and major news networks over coverage accuracy and regulatory oversight. Trump's call for FCC intervention raises questions about the boundaries of government authority over broadcast journalism. The agency maintains jurisdiction over communications but faces legal limits on punishing individual reporters for content.

The discrepancy in endorsement success rates reflects the political stakes of primary elections. With analysts identifying Trump's endorsements as a key factor in future nominations, the accuracy of these records influences party strategy. The losses in states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Tennessee demonstrate that presidential backing does not guarantee victory in every contest.

What's New

Research titled The Geographies of Trump's Electoral Success was published in 2020 in Political Landscapes of Trump. Trump asked how anyone could be allowed to make such statements while working for freely given public airwaves.

The official record states that as of August 5, 2026, Trump had endorsed 313 primary candidates with a success rate of 96 percent, and 39 general election candidates with a success rate of 0 percent. Trump posted that the fake polls used by our crooked media are out of control, and something must be done about it, adding that the FCC should come to the rescue.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the exact success rate of Trump's endorsements. Ballotpedia data indicates Trump made approximately 313 endorsements with a 96% success rate.