President Donald Trump abruptly ended an NBC News interview in Wisconsin after being repeatedly challenged on his claims of election fraud and struggling to provide evidence for those claims. In the interview with Kristen Welker that was taped Friday and aired Sunday, Trump walked off camera after another moment of exchanges in which Welker urged him to stay. According to NBC News, the interview covered the Iran conflict, interest rates, and a proposed fund tied to alleged government targeting. Trump defended the proposed weaponization fund despite legal and political setbacks, but refused to provide evidence supporting his claims when pressed by Welker. As reported by NPR, Trump was visibly frustrated during the interview, particularly when questioned about the war on Iran and the ongoing peace negotiations. According to Meet the Press, Trump appeared to step on the microphone on his way out of the interview.
During the interview, Trump discussed the January 6 Capitol attack, suggesting federal authorities allowed rioters into the building. According to NBC News, Trump claimed California elections faced misconduct and accused journalists of unfair reporting. When Welker pressed for evidence supporting his claims that California was taking days to count ballots "because they're cheating on the election," Trump responded 'All I have to do is look' without citing specific support. Welker countered that this wasn't evidence, prompting Trump to call her "crooked or stupid" and insist there's "more evidence than ever presented" that the 2020 election was rigged. When Welker pointed out that Trump and his allies went to court on election claims and only prevailed in one minor case out of 62 total cases, Trump again called Welker and NBC "crooked," adding he thinks the same about ABC, CBS and CNN. As reported by Meet the Press, Trump repeated his longstanding claim that the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden, was rigged, and that a "dirty" election was "happening again right now" in California, where several key races are taking place. When Welker mentioned what local officials have said about the process, Trump said, "They're crooked. Just like you're crooked. Your press is crooked and Meet the Press is crooked."
California's gubernatorial primary and Los Angeles mayoral race remain undecided nearly a week after the primary, with state officials taking days to finish counting millions of mail-in ballots. As reported by NBC News, California allows for last-minute mail-in ballots and experts have warned it could take days or weeks to count votes due to the state's laws and processes. Trump-nominated first assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said his office has opened "multiple election fraud investigations," alleging the system has "serious structural vulnerabilities." His office is attempting to audit the state's voter rolls, with experts noting that California really cares about counting its ballots and has multiple ways to vote. California Gov. Gavin Newsom sent an open letter to county election officials urging them to speed up the counting process to fight off unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about election security. Current polls have forecast a tight race between the Democratic frontrunner Xavier Becerra, who has advanced to the general November election, and Republican politician Steve Hilton. According to Meet the Press, Trump told Welker 'It's four days and they aren't even close,' adding that the election was "rigged."
Trump supported the proposed weaponization fund during the discussion, stating 'If it was up to me, I'd pay them the kind of money.' He referenced many lives being damaged and claimed suicides had occurred due to alleged government targeting. As reported by Meet the Press, Welker asked Trump if the 172 people who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers—and whom Trump pardoned at the start of his second term—deserved payouts. Trump, without substantiating, claimed that the FBI actually ushered rioters inside the Capitol and that the individuals only pleaded guilty out of fear of getting harsher sentences. The fund could compensate people who claim government agencies unfairly targeted them. The proposal emerged from Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service regarding disclosure of his tax information during 2019 and 2020. Under the settlement, Trump agreed to end his ₹83,000 crore ($10 billion) claim in return for the proposed compensation fund and protections regarding certain past tax returns. Trump defended the idea of using money from the "anti-weaponization fund" created by his administration to pay Jan 6 rioters, saying the 2020 election was "rigged." According to Meet the Press, Trump made very clear that he's not given up on the idea, despite many Republican lawmakers being concerned about the political implications.
The weaponization fund attracted criticism from lawmakers in both political parties, with several Republicans opposing the proposal despite White House support. Court action blocked the fund last month after legal challenges emerged, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche later said the initiative had permanently stopped. However, Trump continued supporting the proposal during the interview, telling NPR that "many other Republicans" support the idea, though he acknowledged it needs approval. When asked if he thought people convicted of assaulting police officers deserved a payout from the fund, Trump said 'I wouldn't be inclined to say so, but I have to see it.' Acting Attorney General Blanche said the Trump administration is "not moving forward" with the fund, but he refused to commit to that in writing. As reported by Meet the Press, Trump's own attorney general tried to assure Republican lawmakers that the fund was going away, but in the interview Trump made very clear that he's not given up on the idea. The fund has been sidelined since critics claimed it would be used to pay his allies and supporters, including some who took part in the Jan 6 riot.
The interview became increasingly tense as questioning continued, with Trump criticizing election procedures and media coverage. According to NBC News, Trump claimed California elections faced misconduct and accused journalists of unfair reporting. Welker continued requesting evidence to support those allegations, but Trump responded by calling her "crooked or stupid" and criticizing NBC and the program itself. Trump then walked off camera, telling Welker 'Let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.' As Welker reminded Trump that she had traveled to Wisconsin for the interview, Trump replied: "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." As reported by Meet the Press, Welker said that she followed up with Trump on Saturday and that they "both acknowledged the complications during the interview posed by the rain." Heavy rain pelting the barn's roof could be heard throughout the interview. Welker added that Trump agreed to do another interview. This marked the latest in a pattern of Trump ending interviews abruptly over questions, following similar walkouts from a "60 Minutes" interview with CBS News' Lesley Stahl in October 2020 and an NPR interview in January 2022. The conversation remained focused on disputed claims and government actions until Trump decided to leave the set.
