Trump Storms Out of Interview After Reporter Calls Out His Election Claims
President Donald Trump’s latest sit-down with the press came to a stunning end after he erupted at NBC journalist Kristen Welker and abruptly walked away from the interview.
Trump, 79, appeared on Meet the Press for an interview that aired Sunday, but things quickly went off the rails when Welker challenged him over his repeated claims that U.S. elections are rigged.
The tense exchange began when Trump took aim at California’s elections, calling them “rigged.” Welker immediately pressed him for proof.
“Do you have evidence?” she asked.
Trump fired back, “All I have to do is look.”
But Welker did not let the claim slide.
“That’s not evidence,” she responded.
That answer appeared to set Trump off.
“You’re crooked, and Meet the Press is crooked, and so is ABC and CBS and CNN, one-sided crooked networks,” Trump said, according to the interview. “Let’s call it quits, because I’ve had enough.”
Then, in a moment already drawing attention online, Trump ended the exchange with, “Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” before walking away.
Welker had traveled to Wisconsin for the interview and attempted to keep the conversation going as the president stormed off, but Trump refused to continue.
“I’ve given you enough time,” he said. “You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what, our country can never be great.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Before the interview collapsed, Welker pressed Trump on several major issues, including the war in Iran and gas prices. But the election exchange became the defining moment, raising fresh questions about Trump’s willingness to face tough questioning from the press.
The confrontation also came as Trump continues to push sweeping claims about election fraud without presenting evidence to back them up. His critics have long accused him of using those claims to undermine trust in democracy whenever the facts do not favor him.
Trump also appeared irritated when Welker brought up his past campaign promise to keep the country out of new wars. The president, who has repeatedly promoted himself as a “Peace President,” pushed back when asked about the conflict with Iran.
“I didn’t guarantee no war,” Trump said. “Why would I have built the strongest military in the world? I built our military.”
The heated Meet the Press moment was not the first time Trump has lashed out at a female journalist during a tense exchange.
Just days earlier, Trump attacked CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins after another reporter asked about his controversial $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was later dropped following public outrage.
“CNN’s a very corrupt organization, with a corrupt reporter standing right there,” Trump said while pointing at Collins. “Never smiles. She never — she’s a young, beautiful woman, never smiles. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing with hatred in her eyes.”
Trump also told Collins to “be quiet” after she pointed out that some Republicans had also criticized the Justice Department fund, which reportedly could have made Jan. 6 rioters eligible for payments.
Over the years, Trump has repeatedly used personal insults against women in the press. He has called Collins “stupid and nasty,” described New York Times reporter Katie Rogers as “ugly, both inside and out,” and once shushed a Bloomberg reporter while telling her, “Quiet, piggy.”
Sunday’s explosive interview added another dramatic chapter to Trump’s long war with the media — and showed once again how quickly the president can turn combative when confronted with a simple demand for evidence.
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