Trump Storms Off 'Meet the Press' After Election Fraud Exchange
President Donald Trump walked out of a taped interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday after a heated exchange with host Kristen Welker over his claims of election fraud and his administration's proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund.
The interview, conducted at a farm in Wisconsin, covered a range of topics including the Iran war and gas prices — but it was the final stretch of the exchange that unraveled. As Welker repeatedly pressed Trump to provide evidence for his election fraud claims and challenged his statements about Jan. 6, the president ended the interview abruptly and walked off.
"Let's call it quits because I've had enough — thank you, darling, have a good time," Trump said as he left, crushing his lapel microphone underfoot on the way out. Welker attempted to continue. "Mr. President, let's please — I traveled all the way to Wisconsin," she said. Trump did not return.
What Triggered the Walkout
The interview began to fracture when Welker pressed Trump on his proposed "anti-weaponization" fund — a $1.776 billion program his administration had described as a mechanism to compensate individuals who claimed to be persecuted by the federal government, including participants in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The Justice Department stepped back from the fund last week amid bipartisan resistance.
Trump said he still supported the idea. "I don't know what's going to happen with the weaponization fund," he said. "I love the idea, because people lost everything."
When Welker asked whether it was appropriate for Jan. 6 participants to receive taxpayer money, Trump responded that each case would need to be reviewed individually and claimed that FBI agents had encouraged people to enter the Capitol that day. Welker challenged that claim directly, saying Trump had "no evidence of that."
Trump pushed back on the election fraud line of questioning by attacking the press broadly. "You play right into their hands with this stuff," he said. "You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they're rigged." He also called Welker, her network, and several other outlets "crooked."
"They're crooked, just like you're crooked, your press is crooked and 'Meet the Press' is crooked," Trump said. Trump has maintained for years that the 2020 election was stolen from him, claims that have been rejected by courts, election officials, and his own former Justice Department.
Other Claims Made During the Interview
Before the walkout, Welker also questioned Trump about his campaign promise of no new wars, given the ongoing conflict with Iran. Trump pushed back on the characterization. "I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?" he said.
Not the First Time
Trump has a documented history of contentious exchanges with female journalists. He has previously called CNN's Kaitlan Collins "stupid and nasty," told a Bloomberg reporter to be "quiet, piggy," and described The New York Times' Katie Rogers as "ugly, both inside and out." Sunday's exchange added to that record.
The interview aired in full on Sunday's broadcast of "Meet the Press," including the walkout.
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