Kristen Welker takes over as moderator of Meet the Press on Sunday, and it’s looking like her first guest will not be a safe or uncontroversial choice: Vulture hears that NBC News has booked Donald Trump as Welker’s big get this weekend. Despite the former NBC employee turned president’s unmatched record for lying and undermining democratic norms, Trump also happens to be the GOP front-runner for president, making him hard for news shows to resist. NBC isn’t commenting or confirming, but unlike Trump’s disastrous (for the network) CNN town hall appearance this spring, it’s likely the Meet the Press chat will be taped in advance and certainly minus a studio audience, perhaps allowing for some ability to fact-check any stream of lies.
The former host of the Peacock network’s The Apprentice is no stranger to Meet the Press: He appeared on the show in 2019 as president and in 2016 as a candidate. And Trump goes way back with NBC’s entertainment division, what with his hosting gig on SNL and the infamous Jimmy Fallon hair-petting incidence. This, however, would be his first visit to the network since he was twice impeached, plotted to overthrow an election, was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation, and indicted in multiple criminal cases around the country. While there’s an argument to be made that big media outlets rarely get much useful (or truthful) information from Trump interviews, it’s worth noting that Welker has done a good job of sparring with Trump in the past. She got some rave reviews moderating a Biden-Trump debate in 2020, with The Guardian calling the anchor “the obvious winner†of the event. NBC declined comment when asked about the booking.