NBC ‘Meet the Press’ host Kristen Welker objected to Donald Trump interview for debut episode: report
NY Post
“Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker rejected her boss’s suggestion to interview former President Donald Trump for her debut episode last fall before being coaxed into the sit-down, according to a report.
Welker, the former NBC News White House correspondent who replaced Chuck Todd on the long-running Sunday morning show, was approached by Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal News, about whom to book for her first show last September, according to the New York Times.
Conde and Welker agreed that she should prioritize booking President Biden and Trump for interviews, the New York Times reported.
While Biden declined an invite, Trump accepted.
But when Conde broached the idea of Welker interviewing Trump for her Sept. 17 debut, she reportedly pushed back.
Welker was apparently wary of a sit-down with Trump given his combative nature and his propensity to make wild claims. She finally agreed to what turned out to be a contentious interview only after getting pressured by Conde and several of his deputies, according to the Times.
