# Cato Expert: Trump’s FCC Threat Against NBC’s Kristen Welker Is a Free Speech Problem 

Recently, President Donald Trump posted online that he was reporting NBC’s Kristen Welker “to the FCC for rebuke or punishment” because of her comments about his record of endorsing candidates for office.

August 31, 2026 • News Releases 

Recently, President Donald Trump posted online that he was reporting NBC’s Kristen Welker “to the FCC for rebuke or punishment” because of her comments about his record of endorsing candidates for office.

Following this threat from President Trump, [David Inserra](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fdavid-inserra/1/010001a058292ba8-07658130-f429-4016-881b-d323214d6848-000000/E68Ma4KGUyNAfOY7SaHVkQw3jn8=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjYxNGQ1NDhjMWQ2ZGE4MjRlMzcyZWY4MDM2Zjg0ZjYwOjc6M2NiODo5MjBhNmFjMTU1MGVjZGU0ZDQwYTlmZWE2ZjM1ZGNjMmRhYzJiMjM2ZmU4NWU5OWMxMzEyOTEzZDhiNTczYzY1Omg6VDpO), a fellow for free expression and technology at the Cato Institute, released a statement:

> *“President Trump is treating the FCC like his personal arbiter of truth, as though a handful of his government appointees should be able to punish the press for their reporting. All Americans, including President Trump, are free to criticize the press if they believe the press is wrong. But we should never accept the idea that the FCC or any other part of government should have the authority to censor free speech. The FCC should be stripped of the powers it does possess to meddle in the free expression of broadcasters so that no President will ever think it is appropriate to report the press like this again.”*

You can view Inserra’s previous work on the FCC below:

- [Broadcasters Should Not Lose Their Licenses Because They Don’t Broadcast a President’s Speech](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fbroadcasters-should-not-lose-their-licenses-because-they-dont-broadcast-presidents-speech/1/010001a058292ba8-07658130-f429-4016-881b-d323214d6848-000000/SsYXZUP_aWPfHwg7CCAu11lmMPQ=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjYxNGQ1NDhjMWQ2ZGE4MjRlMzcyZWY4MDM2Zjg0ZjYwOjc6OGM3Yzo1NWU0NjUzZWJjZGNmNjhkNTI2MTliMDBkNGE4NjVkNmQwZDZiYTk3OWU1NTQxMjNiMTU1ZjFiMWQ3NDI2NWVmOmg6VDpO)
- [The FCC’s Public Interest Notice Is a House of Cards](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Ffccs-public-interest-notice-house-cards/1/010001a058292ba8-07658130-f429-4016-881b-d323214d6848-000000/sMSLHxpu87dYxo7H3AQGjcCdvBg=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjYxNGQ1NDhjMWQ2ZGE4MjRlMzcyZWY4MDM2Zjg0ZjYwOjc6MmY1YjphZjJlMjk0ZGI2ODRjYjhkNjU2MzliOTdkMzc5ODk5MmE4OTQ1MzhiMzZiNzE2YzBmMjBkZjkwNGQxMGZlZDE0Omg6VDpO)
- [Comments in Response to FCC “Delete, Delete, Delete” Initiative](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpublic-comments*2Fcomments-response-fcc-delete-delete-delete-initiative/1/010001a058292ba8-07658130-f429-4016-881b-d323214d6848-000000/Ds5TpV3ibT5gFT1JaqCKyo4Lrgs=473___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjYxNGQ1NDhjMWQ2ZGE4MjRlMzcyZWY4MDM2Zjg0ZjYwOjc6NjNhYjpkNzNiMTRhZWQ1ZDQyNGY0ZDYzZDhlZGJkY2I5ODE5MmM2Y2M2NzM0NjIxZDM4MWJhNWFkOGM2YTU2NzgxMmQwOmg6VDpO)

To speak with Inserra, contact [Christopher Tarvardian](mailto:ctarvardian@cato.org).

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