NBC host addresses criticism over interview with Donald Trump: 'There is still news value'

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NBC's 'Meet the Press' host asks panelist to help address criticism of Trump interview

NBC host Kristen Welker debuted her first "Meet the Press" program as host by sitting down with former President Donald Trump and addressed criticism of the interview.

NBC's Kristen Welker and MSNBC analyst Peter Baker addressed criticism of her sit-down interview with Donald Trump on Sunday at the end of her first official "Meet the Press" program as the new host. 

"Big picture, Peter Baker, I'm giving the final word to you. We have gotten criticism for just sitting down with former President Trump. He is the former president. He is facing four indictments as journalists; just set the scene and backdrop why there is still news value and value from the public to hear from him?" Welker asked. 

Baker said it was a "huge challenge" for American journalists. 

"It cannot be that a person can run for president of the United States, be a front-runner in his party, and possibly win without ever being challenged by a tough, independent interviewer, and that’s I think an important part of our system. Obviously, the challenge for us because he’s going to spout out one thing after another and fact-checking in real time is a real hard thing, and what you’ve done here is edit it and make sure people understand what’s real and not," he said. 

NBC's "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker hit back at criticism of her interview with Donald Trump on Sunday. (Screenshot/NBC/MeetThePress)

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Welker, who NBC announced would succeed Chuck Todd as the next host of the network's Sunday Show, started her reign as host of "Meet the Press" with an interview with the former president and current GOP front-runner. 

Critics took issue with NBC's decision to interview Trump, as "#BoycottMeetThePress" trended on X, formerly known as Twitter, leading up to the interview. 

Welker asked Trump about abortion, the 2020 election, as well as the possibility of going to prison. 

Trump insisted two sides would come together on abortion if he was elected, accusing members of the GOP of speaking "inarticulately" about the issue. 

Former President Donald Trump attends UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena on July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada.  (Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

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"We’re going to agree to a number of weeks or months or however you want to define it," Trump said. "And both sides are going to come together and both sides — both sides, and this is a big statement — both sides will come together. And for the first time in 52 years, you’ll have an issue that we can put behind us."

Trump told Welker that he doesn't even "think" about going to jail or the possibility of a prison sentence. 

"When you say, ‘do I lose sleep?’ I sleep," he said. "I sleep. Because I truly feel that, in the end, we're going to win."

NBC News published a fact-check of some of Trump's claims after the interview. 

Donald Trump speaks to CPAC crowd August 6, 2022, in Dallas, Texas (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

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CNN was similarly criticized ahead of their town hall with the former president in May.

Liberals and members of the media took issue with the event, which was moderated by CNN's Kaitlan Collins. 

"CNN should be ashamed of themselves," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., reacted on Twitter. "They have lost total control of this ‘town hall’ to again be manipulated into platforming election disinformation, defenses of Jan 6th, and a public attack on a sexual abuse victim. The audience is cheering him on and laughing at the host."

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