Trump says NBC's Welker will be reported to FCC

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he intends to report NBC's Kristen Welker to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for "rebuke or punishment." Trump stated this action was prompted by his assertion that Welker had misrepresented his endorsements of candidates, reporting mixed results.

The confrontation stems from a recent interview where Welker repeatedly questioned Trump about his claims concerning election fraud and issues related to January 6th. Clips of this interview circulated widely on social media, leading to calls from some Trump supporters for Welker's dismissal, accusing her of being a "fake news" reporter. However, fact-checking efforts found no evidence that NBC plans to fire Welker.

In parallel, Trump also criticized ABC and NBC more broadly, labeling them "fake news" and suggesting he would favor revoking their broadcast licenses due to alleged biased coverage. He claimed these networks provided negative coverage on 97% of stories concerning him, though he did not cite a source for this figure. A study by the Media Research Center indicated 92% negative coverage during Trump's first 100 days. It was noted that national networks like ABC and NBC do not directly hold FCC licenses; rather, their programming is broadcast through local affiliates that are regulated by the FCC. Legal precedent suggests that attempts to revoke licenses based on perceived news bias would face significant constitutional challenges under the First Amendment.