President Donald Trump lashed out at NBC News host Kristen Welker over election commentary, while the Treasury Department barred economics journalists from major outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News from covering the Group of 20 finance meetings in Asheville, North Carolina.
As policymakers gather for the Group of 20 finance ministers summit, the administration has paired its sharp public rebukes of broadcast media with tangible restrictions on press credentials for major economic publications.
Federal Communications Commission Target and Broadcast Rebukes
The controversy surrounding broadcast coverage ignited when President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker. The president took aim at Welker after alleging she stated he had mixed results with candidates he endorsed during the election cycle, pointing to primary losses by figures such as Minnesota gubernatorial candidate and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and Iowa gubernatorial candidate Rep. Randy Feenstra.
“How can anyone be allowed to say this, working for freely given Public Airwaves?”
Donald Trump, President
The remarks in question were not made on Sunday’s broadcast of the network program. CNN’s Brian Stelter noted on X that Welker made the comments during a pre-show segment on Washington, D.C., local affiliate WRC-TV, discussing the historical weight of presidential endorsements on midterm primary contests.
NBC News defended its anchor, with a spokesperson for NBC News issuing a statement declaring that Welker is among the best in the profession.
“Kristen is one of the best in the business and we stand by her.”
NBC News, Spokesperson
Trump subsequently urged regulatory leadership to intervene against the broadcast network. In a social media post, Trump wrote that the press is a disgrace to our nation and expressed hope that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr would address the matter.
G20 Access Denials and Economic Pressures in North Carolina
While broadcast oversight debates unfold, economic journalists face immediate logistical blockades on the ground. The US Treasury Department excluded journalists from several prominent financial and general news organizations from covering the Group of 20 finance ministers summit in Asheville, North Carolina. The meetings occur amid intense global market volatility and an ongoing US-Iran conflict.
The Treasury Department rejected numerous accreditation requests from Bloomberg News and the Wall Street Journal without providing an official explanation to the outlets. A U.S.-based New York Times reporter was similarly denied credentials, according to the Times.
The exclusions occurred as financial markets track actions taken by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who recently intervened to support the yen and the bond market. Long-dated U.S. bond yields hit multiyear highs in August, driven in part by renewed inflation concerns and the rising US national debt, which surpassed $40 trillion this month.
International Diplomatic Lobbying and Press Freedom Concerns
Foreign delegations attempted to intervene on behalf of excluded correspondents with limited success. The German Finance Ministry successfully lobbied the Treasury to accredit a Times reporter accompanying Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, according to ministry officials familiar with the matter. However, a separate diplomatic push by German officials to secure credentials for a Bloomberg reporter traveling with Klingbeil failed.
Other Bloomberg journalists stationed in the U.S., France, Italy, Japan, and China also had their accreditation requests rejected. A spokesperson for Bloomberg News condemned the move, stating that denying access undermines media freedom and public accountability.
“Denying access to the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting — a forum that undoubtedly serves the global public interest — undermines media freedom and public accountability.”
Bloomberg News, Spokesperson
The New York Times quoted spokeswoman Nicole Taylor characterizing the decision as a blatant attempt to evade public scrutiny rather than an isolated administrative restriction.
Administration Press Restrictions and Precedents
The Treasury restrictions follow a broader pattern of curtailed press access since the start of the administration’s second term. The Defense Department previously instituted a strict press policy that led nearly all media organizations to remove their offices from the Pentagon rather than sign compliance agreements.
Historical analogues for restricting specific news organizations are rare. In 2009, the Obama administration attempted to exclude Fox News from an interview with then-pay czar Kenneth Feinberg, though the White House ultimately relented after other networks threatened a collective boycott.
Despite the exclusions from major outlets, a Treasury spokesperson said that nearly 300 members of the media, including one reporter from The New York Times, will maintain high-level access to policymakers throughout the G20 proceedings.
