US President Donald Trump abruptly ended an NBC interview after a heated exchange with presenter Kristen Welker over his claims that US elections were “rigged”.
The interview, aired on NBC’s Meet the Press, was cut short after Trump was repeatedly pressed to provide evidence for allegations he made about both the 2020 presidential election and ongoing California primary contests.
During the exchange, Trump insisted the California vote was being manipulated, saying: “They’re cheating on the election.”
When Welker asked him to provide evidence, he replied: “All I have to do is look, and I listen.”
The presenter responded that his comments did not amount to evidence, prompting Trump to accuse the media of bias and describe reporters as “crooked.”
The confrontation escalated as Trump said: “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid,” before telling Welker: “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.”
He also criticised the press generally, saying the United States “can never be great with a dishonest press,” before standing up and walking off the set.
NBC reported that the interview had already been affected by delays caused by rain and technical issues, with Trump appearing for around 50 minutes before ending the session.
Much of the discussion also focused on US foreign policy, including the conflict with Iran, where Trump argued that US involvement was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The interview also touched on a proposed “anti-weaponisation” fund, which had faced political criticism before being dropped, as well as the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot.
Following the broadcast, Welker said she had spoken with Trump afterwards and that both acknowledged the difficult conditions during filming, adding that he had agreed to a future interview.
The White House has not yet commented on the incident.
Erizia Rubyjeana
