President walks out during “Meet the Press” interview following election fraud claims dispute.
Image: NBC NEWS
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump ended a televised interview abruptly after a tense exchange with NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday, calling the network “crooked” before walking out.
The interview, filmed on a farm in Wisconsin, was repeatedly disrupted by heavy rain, wind and audio issues.
Trump initially continued despite the conditions, joking about thunder and asking, “Is that wind or what?”
The discussion later turned to US foreign policy, including Iran and military strategy. Trump defended his record, saying he had not promised to avoid all wars and arguing for a strong military stance.
Tensions escalated when the conversation shifted to Trump’s claims of election fraud and alleged political prosecutions.
Welker challenged the assertions and asked for evidence, saying there was no proof to support the claims. Trump insisted the 2020 election was “rigged” and repeated accusations against political opponents and the media.
“You’re a one-sided, crooked network,” Trump said before ending the interview. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.”
Welker responded by identifying herself as a journalist and continued pressing for clarification, but Trump stood up and left the interview.
The exchange also touched on a proposed compensation programme for individuals Trump says were wrongly prosecuted, which Welker questioned as lacking evidence.
Following the broadcast, Welker said Trump had agreed to a follow-up interview after discussing the weather disruptions separately.
