Trump wants the FCC to punish NBC over his endorsement record

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump has called for the Federal Communications Commission to take action against the media after taking issue with coverage of his Republican primary endorsement record, telling the agency’s chairman to intervene in a pair of fiery posts on Truth Social.

Trump's latest broadside was directed in part at NBC's 'Meet the Press' and its host, Kristen Welker, after he said the program reported that he had endorsed 98% of winning Republican primary candidates.

The president argued the figure understated his record, saying his own tally told a very different story.

The dispute quickly grew beyond one television segment. 

Trump accused the “Fake News” and what he called the “Crooked Media” of being out of control and declared that “something must be done about it,” before adding: “FCC TO THE RESCUE.”

Trump disputes report on endorsements

In his first post, Trump singled out Welker, calling her the “Unpopular ‘Hostess’” of what he described as the “once great Meet the Press.”

He said she had stated that candidates he backed won 98% of their races.

Trump then offered his own figures, writing that 239 of 243 candidates he endorsed in Republican primaries had won.

He said his record in US Senate races stood at 100%, while his House record was 98%.

The president also listed other categories from his endorsement record, arguing that the overall results were stronger than the television report suggested.

He acknowledged that a handful of his preferred candidates lost but said those endorsements had been made out of loyalty.

FCC complaint enters the dispute

Trump said the matter would be reported to the FCC for “rebuke or punishment,” bringing Brendan Carr, the chairman of the communications regulator, into his latest confrontation with news organizations.

The FCC is an independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable.

Trump did not specify in his posts what action he believes the agency should take against the news outlets or coverage he criticized.

His demand came after he accused left-leaning news organizations of deliberately trying to “harass, demean, and lie” about him and his administration.

Trump says media misses his record

Trump used the posts to turn attention back to his endorsement statistics, portraying the numbers as an answer to questions about his political influence within the Republican Party.

The graphic attached to his post highlighted his 2026 primary record, displaying the 98.35% figure alongside separate tallies for Senate and House candidates.

Trump said the candidates he backed had won in contests across the country and criticized coverage that focused on the small number of defeats instead of his broader record.

Fight with press escalates again

The posts mark another escalation in Trump's long-running battle with news organizations he believes treat him unfairly.

This time, however, his response included a direct call for the FCC to become involved.