Trump wants journalist ‘punished’ over two-word midterm claim

Donald Trump has called for NBC News host Kristen Welker to face possible Federal Communications Commission punishment after she described the US president’s midterm endorsement record as having “mixed results”.

Trump used Truth Social on Sunday to say Welker should be reported to the FCC for “rebuke or punishment”, accusing the Meet the Press moderator of “purposeful inaccuracy”.

He also directly called on FCC chair Brendan Carr to take the matter “very seriously”.

The trigger was two words: “mixed results”.

READ MORE: Eyeliner, ageing and the media’s MAGA obsession

READ MORE: Trump has Taylor Swift songs deleted from his social media

The comment that set Trump off

Welker made the remark during a live appearance on Washington DC’s NBC affiliate ahead of Sunday’s Meet the Press.

Discussing Trump’s influence over November’s midterm elections, Welker said he was “going to loom large over these midterms”.

“He, of course, has endorsed a slate of candidates in the primaries. He’s had some mixed results,” she said.

Welker immediately pointed to one of Trump’s recent successes, the Republican primary victory of interim senator Darline Graham, sister of the late senator Lindsey Graham.

Trump disputed Welker’s characterisation.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, he called Welker the “Unpopular ‘Hostess’” of what he described as “Meet the Fake Press”, and argued his endorsement record remained historically strong.

“Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment,” Trump wrote.

He added: “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.”

Trump’s endorsement numbers

Trump’s endorsement record in Republican primaries is strong, though not spotless.

According to Fox News’ Trump Primary Endorsement Tracker, all 24 candidates he backed in Republican Senate primaries have won, while 214 of his 218 endorsed House candidates have secured their races.

The gubernatorial numbers are less clean. Of the 21 candidates Trump backed, 16 won and five lost.

Those defeats included Mike Lindell in Minnesota, who finished behind state House Speaker Lisa Demuth.

My Endorsements are stronger than ever — Not to mention the fact that good people are getting elected that never had the chance! Here is an accurate list of the last number of seasons. There has never been anything close! It is an Honor that I take very seriously. The few that… pic.twitter.com/DPFDlKpgtD

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 24, 2026

Trump has repeatedly pushed back against attempts to characterise those losses as evidence his influence inside the Republican Party is slipping.

“My Endorsements are stronger than ever,” he wrote in an earlier Truth Social post. “There has never been anything close!”

The issue has become something of a sore point.

On Friday, HBO Max host Bill Maher apologised to Trump on air after claiming the president was winning “almost none of” his endorsements. Trump had sent Maher figures challenging the claim.

Trump and Welker’s history

It is not Trump and Welker’s first run-in.

In June, Trump walked out of an hour-long interview with Welker after being questioned about his campaign pledge of “no new wars” and the US conflict with Iran.

“You're a one-sided crooked network,” Trump told her.

“Let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”

He added: “You ought to straighten out your press. A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”

Welker has moderated Meet the Press since 2023 and previously moderated the final 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden.

NBC backs Welker

NBC News stood behind its moderator following Trump’s latest attack.

“Kristen is one of the best in the business, and we stand by her,” the network said.

Trump’s criticism comes after NBC News published an analysis on 19 August examining his endorsement record as the Republican primary season drew to a close.

But the significance of Sunday’s intervention goes beyond another Trump-media stoush.

The president chose to bring the FCC into it.

Trump turns again to the FCC

Trump has repeatedly called for regulatory action against broadcasters and programs whose coverage he opposes.

FCC chair Brendan Carr has also taken an increasingly combative approach towards broadcasters during Trump’s second term.

In September 2025, Carr publicly pressured television station groups over comments made by Jimmy Kimmel following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Sinclair and Nexstar subsequently pre-empted Kimmel’s ABC program before it returned to air.

Trump has also secured settlements from ABC and CBS worth more than US$30 million (AU$41.89 million) combined during his second term.

ABC has since sued the FCC, alleging the administration used the regulator to retaliate against the network over its programming.

NBC could now face similar scrutiny. The network operates 11 local television stations subject to FCC licensing.

What can the FCC actually do?

There are limits.

The FCC licenses individual broadcast stations rather than journalists or television networks themselves, and its authority over editorial decisions is constrained by the First Amendment.

Its own policies distinguish deliberate news distortion from disagreements over accuracy, bias or editorial judgement.

CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter, who circulated the clip of Welker’s remarks, said the FCC could not punish Welker directly.

But he also pointed to Carr’s willingness to engage with Trump’s previous complaints about broadcasters.

That makes Trump’s latest demand significant even if no formal punishment follows.

The argument may have started with two words about Republican primary results. By Sunday, it had become another test of how far the White House is prepared to push a federal regulator into its fights with the American media.