Dissatisfied with the media coverage of the candidates he supports in view of the mid-term elections, Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he wanted to report a journalist from the NBC channel to the American Communications Authority (FCC).
“Kristen Welker, the unpopular host of the once prestigious show “Meet the Press,” now called “Meet the Fake Press,” has just claimed that Donald Trump has obtained mixed results regarding his support for candidates,” the American president wrote on his Truth Social network.
“As a result of this deliberate inaccuracy, it will be reported to the FCC for reprimand or sanction,” he added.
An NBC News spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, defended the journalist to AFP. “Kristen is one of the best in the profession and we fully support her,” she said.
This new attack is part of the offensive led by the Trump administration against the media that it considers excessively critical.
Aggressive strategy against the press
The Republican billionaire has sued several newspapers and his administration, from the Pentagon to the FBI, is increasing restrictions and attempts at intimidation against journalists.
It relies in particular on the Federal Communications Commission, a government agency regulating numerous television channels and headed by Brendan Carr, a close friend of Donald Trump.
These initiatives, however, face growing resistance from press groups and major audiovisual networks. Several of them have filed lawsuits against the FCC, believing that this pressure constitutes political retaliation contrary to the First Amendment of the American Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
Relations between Donald Trump and Kristen Welker had already been marked by several public skirmishes.
At the beginning of June, the American president abruptly cut short an interview given to the journalist after a tense exchange, in which he became annoyed by several questions from the presenter, notably on Iran.
