Former President Donald Trump sharply criticized NBC News and its “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker after she commented on the mixed outcomes of candidates he endorsed during this election cycle. Trump, in a Truth Social post, accused Welker of spreading “purposeful inaccuracy” and threatened to report her to the Federal Communications Commission for rebuke or punishment. The remark that angered Trump was made by Welker in a pre-show segment on a local Washington, D.C., affiliate, not during the national broadcast.

This confrontation follows the Treasury Department’s decision to deny credentials to some economics reporters from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg for this week’s G20 meetings in North Carolina. While nearly 300 accredited media members will have access to high-level policymakers at the event, the exclusion of reporters from leading outlets once again highlights the Trump administration’s efforts to control media access. This pattern continues a trend of adversarial relations between Trump and key news organizations.

Trump’s long-standing hostility towards the press includes repeated accusations of “fake news” and efforts to limit media scrutiny. These tensions have also been reflected in the Federal Communications Commission under Trump’s appointee Brendan Carr, who has become more willing to act on perceived media bias. Trump’s social media posts suggested that FCC leadership should pursue actions against NBC News for alleged misinformation and the use of “fake polls” in election coverage.

The feud between Trump and media outlets like NBC News illustrates the broader conflict between the administration and journalism in the current political environment. Trump’s public outbursts, such as walking out of an earlier interview with Welker over election fraud questions, underscore his combative approach to the press. The increasing restrictions on press access coupled with demands for regulatory intervention by the FCC indicate escalating tensions as the midterm elections approach.