Trump exits NBC interview after election claims challenged

President Donald Trump abruptly ended an NBC interview after a tense exchange over his claims that elections in California and the 2020 presidential race were “rigged,” telling moderator Kristen Welker, “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.”

The interview, conducted Friday in Wisconsin and aired Sunday on Meet the Press, broke down after Welker repeatedly pressed Trump for evidence to support his allegations. Trump, who was appearing at an event with farmers, sat for the interview in a barn as rain hit the metal roof and technical problems delayed the taping. NBC reported that he walked out 50 minutes after sitting down.

Trump first repeated his unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 election was rigged during a discussion of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He then turned to California’s current primary elections, where votes are still being counted to determine which candidates will advance to November’s midterm ballots in a series of races, including governor.

“It’s four days and they aren’t even close to counting,” Trump said, according to The Guardian, while Welker noted that such timing is standard for California’s election process. The BBC reported that delays are common in the state because of a meticulous vote-counting process and widespread mail-in voting.

“They’re cheating on the election,” Trump said.

“Do you have evidence to support that?” Welker asked.

“All I have to do is look, and I listen,” Trump replied.

“But that’s not evidence,” Welker said.

Trump then accused the media and Welker personally of dishonesty. “They’re crooked, just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked,” he said, according to The Guardian.

Welker responded, “To be fair, I’m not crooked. But let’s continue.” Trump then told her, “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid.”

Moments later, as Welker tried to keep asking questions, Trump ended the interview. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough,” he said. “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”

When Welker noted that she had traveled to Wisconsin for the interview, Trump said: “I’ve sat in the rain with you for an hour. On and off in the rain and I’ve given you enough time. You oughta straighten out your press.” The BBC reported that he also said, “A country can never be great with a dishonest press,” before gesturing to people behind the camera and walking off the set.

Earlier in the interview, Welker questioned Trump about the conflict with Iran. Trump said the United States needed to act to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and said it would not be “an endless war.” He added: “We’re there for a few months and the threat is largely over.”

Welker also asked about an “anti-weaponisation” fund, a now-dropped proposal to create a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who say they were unfairly targeted or investigated by the government. The plan drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who said it could lead to payments to people prosecuted over the Capitol riot.

The Guardian reported that Trump did not directly answer whether people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers on Jan. 6 should receive taxpayer funding. He claimed, without evidence, that rioters were “ushered into” the Capitol by FBI agents and said some took plea deals because they feared lengthy prison terms.

After the broadcast, Welker said she spoke with Trump on Saturday and that “we both acknowledged the complications during the interview posed by the rain.” She said Trump agreed to sit down for another Meet the Press interview. The BBC said it had contacted the White House for comment, while The Guardian reported that NBC News did not respond to its request for comment on Trump’s exit.