Mike Belcher, a New Hampshire legislator, has used his social media platform to address recent coverage by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) and to provide updates on upcoming legislative activity. On January 6, 2026, Belcher responded publicly to NHPR’s reporting on House Bill 1561, which concerns restrictions on PRC nationals attending colleges and universities in the state.
Belcher wrote, “Since NHPR selectively edited the last quote I sent them in response to an inquiry about legislation, I’ll post my full response to their inquiry here. This is an inquiry on HB1561 prohibiting PRC nationals from attending colleges and universities in NH.” (January 6, 2026)
He further criticized NHPR’s handling of his statement later that day: “The prior quote they edited is below. (Trump got it right with ‘enemy of the people’). As you can see from their story, they only ran the last part of the quote, which made it appear that I refused to answer their question, re: similarities/differences and Constitutionality, and” (January 6, 2026)
On January 7, 2026, Belcher announced plans for legislative action: “We’ll be introducing several big bills, including all 3 China oriented bills, into committee next week. I’ll update more below with details. And, today is a session day in the NH House, so I’ll be making some commentary on that throughout the day as well.” (January 7, 2026)
House Bill 1561 is part of a series of proposed measures aimed at regulating or restricting activities by Chinese nationals within New Hampshire. These proposals are being introduced amid broader national debates regarding U.S.-China relations and concerns about foreign influence in higher education institutions.
Belcher’s posts reflect ongoing tensions between lawmakers and media outlets over how legislative communications are reported. The public dispute centers around claims of selective editing by NHPR and underscores wider political divisions concerning both press coverage and policy toward China.