‘Meet the Press’ Host Boasts About Super Cozy Trump Relationship

Meet the Press host Kristen Welker got noticeably excited as she described her surprise at receiving a text message response from Donald Trump during a sit down on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

“Sometimes you have to take a chance,” Welker told Seth Meyers of texting Trump for his reaction to Joe Biden’s last-minute family member pardons on Inauguration Day. “I went with a text message, wasn’t expecting to hear back, and then I was live on air and got the text that was signed DJT,” she said with a proud smile.

Welker has seemingly become Trump’s favorite reporter, securing most of his reactions to the week’s headlines, including her Saturday scoop, secured by a phone conversation with the then-president-elect, that he “most likely” planned to institute a 90-day extension on TikTok’s ban in the U.S.

“This is a relationship that’s been built over time,” Welker explained Wednesday. “I covered his first administration, my first interview on Meet the Press was with then-candidate Trump, and he gave me his first interview once he had been elected, so that’s why I have that phone number.”

Welker confirmed to Meyers that she has Trump’s number saved in her phone, but wouldn’t reveal what it was listed as in her contacts: “I can’t say what I have him in my phone listed as, but let’s just say hopefully no one else would be able to tell.”

Meyers also asked Welker for her reaction to backlash Trump is receiving for pardoning all Jan. 6 Capitol attack offenders, including those convicted of violence crimes.

“President-elect Trump, candidate Trump, said he was going to pardon those who were convicted of crimes on January 6 when I interviewed him in December,” Welker said. “He said he’s not ruling anyone out. So, you know, no matter how you feel about this, I think people shouldn’t be surprised. He said what he was going to do.”