October 21, 2020, Washington, United States -- Just a day before the final presidential debate, President Donald Trump who is notorious for his treatment of journalists launched a smear campaign against award winning journalist Kristen Welker who will moderate the debate.

Thursday’s debate will be moderated by Kristen Welker, NBC News’ White House correspondent. Although Trump and his campaign have complimented Welker in the past, he and his supporters have taken to social media to criticize her ahead of the debate.

“She’s always been terrible & unfair, just like most of the Fake News reporters, but I’ll still play the game,” Trump tweeted on Saturday.

More recently, supporters of the president have latched onto a photo of Welker posing with President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and another man, whom the New York Post identified as Welker’s father. On Facebook, people are using the photo to claim Welker is biased.

USA Today’s fact checker page looked into the claims and stated that the claim by the President was lacking content. Although Kristen had been invited to dinner at the White House, there were several other press members on that night and it does not prove that she was personally acquainted with the former President Obama. 

Trump also bashed Welker Saturday night at his rally in Janesville, Wisconsin, calling her “extraordinarily unfair.”
Journalists around the country came together in support of Kristen Welker in the face of a smear campaign initiated by Donald Trump. ABC News White House correspondent Jonathan Karl appeared to set off a wave of support and praise for the longtime NBC News journalist in an effort to set the record straight amid an avalanche of false claims attempting to smear the moderator.

Last month, Kristen Welker was presented the award for “Outstanding Journalist In Broadcast Television” by the Washingtonian.

Donald Trump on the other hand, has been known for his mistreatment of journalists especially women journalists. In September, journalist Kathy Gray was “escorted out of” the Republican candidate’s rally for her reporting on lack of health safety measures put in place.

Donald Trump’s clashes with media outlets and journalists are one consistent interaction people have grown to expect from his presidency. He coined phrases like “Fake News” for his supporters, and the more positive encouragement he received from those phrases, the more he heightened the attacks.

The way Mr. Trump treats the press when they challenge his administration, specifically female journalists and women of colour have been on the spotlights during his press briefings following the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands with Kristen Welker and finds such treatment by the President of the United States who has sworn to protect the Constitution, including freedom of the press as prescribed in the First Amendment utterly unacceptable. Vile comments against women journalists which seem to be designed to silence them by belittling and humiliating them is in no way in accordance with the duties of the leader of a country which champions freedoms. We would like to remind Mr. President that he, like all other presidents before him, has no control over the press and the right to information of the public. In calling out the unprofessional behavior of President Trump we stand with all women journalists in the US who have been discouraged by comments and treatments of the Trump administration.