WASHINGTON (AURN News) — President Donald Trump is calling for federal action against a journalist over one sentence about his political record.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker was discussing Trump’s endorsements in Republican primaries when she said the president has had “some mixed results” with his endorsements.
That prompted Trump to say Welker should be reported to the FCC for “rebuke or punishment.”
He called her statement a “purposeful inaccuracy” and urged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to take the matter seriously.
NBC is standing behind Welker, saying, “Kristen is one of the best in the business, and we stand by her.”
The dispute raises a broader question about government power and the press.
Should a president be able to call on a federal regulatory agency to punish a journalist over a characterization of his political record? What about the First Amendment?
The FCC’s authority over broadcast journalism is limited, and the First Amendment sharply restricts government interference in editorial decisions.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
