Trump Escalates War on Press With FCC Threat Against NBC

President Trump said Sunday he would file an FCC complaint against NBC anchor Kristen Welker over her characterization of his 2026 primary endorsement record.

• Trump cited a 100% Senate and 98% House endorsement success rate this cycle.
• 313 total endorsements logged; Ballotpedia put his overall success rate at 96%.
• Notable losses include Mike Lindell, Andy Ogles, Randy Feenstra, and Burt Jones.
• Disney and ABC filed suit against the FCC on Aug. 18 over what they called a retaliatory campaign.

Why it matters: The FCC licenses NBC's broadcast stations because public airwave spectrum is limited — giving the agency leverage over network operations. Trump's threat follows a pattern of using that leverage against news organizations he says are biased against him.

• FCC Chair Brendan Carr has previously signaled willingness to scrutinize networks he views as biased.

How 60 sources split on this story

Where they split: The factual dispute is whether calling Trump's endorsement record 'mixed results' is an accurate characterization or a deliberate misrepresentation.

What’s next: NBC had not publicly commented as of Sunday afternoon; both outlets contacted the network.

• Trump called on Carr to treat the matter as a serious threat to the country.
• Will FCC Chair Brendan Carr open a formal inquiry, and on what legal basis?
• How will NBC and Welker respond to the complaint threat?
• Could an FCC action face the same legal challenge as the one Disney and ABC filed in August?