Trump to appear on 'Meet the Press' Sunday as Kristen Welker takes over as host

Former President Donald Trump throws a football to the crowd during a visit to the Alpha Gamma Rho, agricultural fraternity, at Iowa State University before an NCAA college football game between Iowa State and Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will give his first broadcast network interview since leaving office, sitting down this week with Kristen Welker as she debuts as host of NBC's “Meet the Press” Sunday.

The network said in a release that the interview will be pre-taped at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club Thursday and that the same invitation had been extended to President Joe Biden. Trump last appeared on the show in 2019.

The former president has largely steered clear of mainstream media interviews during his third campaign for the White House. Instead, he frequently calls in to conservative podcasts, radio shows and far-right cable outlets, and shares his thoughts in posts and videos on his Truth Social site.

The interview comes as Trump remains the clear front-runner for the Republican nomination, even after being indicted four times on a slew of charges, including many connected to his efforts to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Trump will also be appearing Thursday on former Fox News host Megyn Kelly's SiriusXM show. The interview, taped Wednesday in New Jersey, will be her first with him since the 2016 campaign. Trump and Kelly memorably clashed during a 2015 Republican primary debate, when Kelly pressed him on his history of derogatory comments about women.

Welker is set to debut as host of “Meet the Press” this Sunday, taking over from Chuck Todd.

Trump has previously praised Welker's performance moderating the second presidential debate between him and Biden in 2020.