U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly ended a live interview with NBC on Sunday after a heated exchange with journalist Kristen Welker over his repeated claims that U.S. elections were rigged.
The tense confrontation occurred during Trump’s appearance on the NBC program Meet the Press in Wisconsin, where he was questioned about allegations of election fraud in California’s recent primaries and the 2020 presidential election.
During the interview, Trump reiterated his longstanding claims that elections had been manipulated, alleging that similar activities were occurring again in California.
“The election was rigged. It was a dirty election. And it’s happening again right now in California… They’re cheating on the election,” Trump said.
Welker repeatedly asked the president to provide evidence supporting the allegations. In response, Trump maintained that his conclusions were based on what he had observed and heard from others.
“All I have to do is look… All I have to do is listen, and I listen to people, and let’s see what happens,” he said.
As the questioning continued, the exchange became increasingly confrontational, with Trump accusing major media organizations of bias and dishonesty.
“They’re crooked just like you’re crooked; your press is crooked. And ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked… You’re a one-sided crooked network,” Trump said, extending his criticism to other major U.S. news outlets.
The interview ended abruptly after Welker again sought evidence for the election-rigging claims. Trump responded by saying, “You’re either crooked, or you’re stupid. Let’s call it quits. Because I’ve had enough,” before standing up and leaving the interview.
Welker, visibly surprised by the decision, remarked, “I traveled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview,” as the president exited.
Trump has continued to argue that irregularities affected past elections, citing affidavits, procedural changes, statistical concerns, and vote-counting processes. However, critics, election officials, and numerous court rulings have consistently stated that there is no verified evidence of widespread voter fraud capable of changing the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
The incident has since generated significant reaction online, with supporters and critics debating both Trump’s claims and his handling of the interview.
