'Rebuke or punishment': Trump threatens to report Kristen Welker to FCC
Press can be criticized, but the president cannot use the power of the federal government as a threat against a journalist because the coverage is unfavorable.
President Donald Trump, in a series of social media posts, urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take action against NBC's Kristen Welker for a TV segment he disagreed with. Welker, the moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," had reportedly stated that Trump's endorsement record contained "mixed results," which Trump believed to be inaccurate.
He claimed that Welker's remark was part of a pattern of "purposeful inaccuracy" and demanded that the FCC take "rebuke or punishment" against her. FCC Chair Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, did not comment on the matter. While the FCC has limited power in such situations and cannot prevent the broadcast of a particular viewpoint, Trump's persistent criticism of media organizations, including his repeated attacks on Welker, raises questions about the potential for FCC intervention in press freedom.
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