‘I’ve had enough’: Trump walks out of an interview after host Kristen Welker pressed him for evidence on his election claims

President Donald Trump ended an NBC News interview after a tense exchange with host Kristen Welker about claims of election integrity. The interview took place in a barn during a farming event in Wisconsin. It stopped suddenly after the president became frustrated with the questions.

The BBC notes that the tension began when the conversation turned to the 2020 election and the ongoing primary elections in California. President Trump said these contests were rigged, a claim he has held despite repeated challenges. When Welker asked for evidence about the California vote, the president said, “All I have to do is look, and I listen.” Welker replied right away, saying, “that’s not evidence.”

This exchange marked a turning point in the conversation. The president accused the media of being crooked. He then told Welker directly, “you’re either crooked or you’re stupid.” After more back-and-forth, the president chose to end the session, saying, “Sorry, let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.” He added, “Thank you darling, have a good time.”

A rain-delayed barn interview that covered Iran and a dropped compensation fund before it ended

Before leaving the set, the president spoke to the crew behind the camera and signaled for his team to go. He told Welker, “I’ve sat in the rain with you for an hour, on and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time.” He also said, “You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”

The interview had been hard to produce from the start. It was delayed several times because of technical problems and heavy rain hitting the metal roof of the barn. According to reporting, the president walked out about 50 minutes after he first sat down. His repeated focus on the 2020 vote comes as he has separately pushed to release classified election documents.

Before the segment broke down, the discussion covered several other major topics. The two talked about the conflict with Iran. The president said the United States needed to act to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. He stressed that any such action would not lead to “an endless war,” saying, “We’re there for a few months and the threat is largely over.”

They also discussed the anti-weaponization fund, a $1.8bn plan that has since been dropped. This proposal was meant to pay people who said they were unfairly targeted by the government. It faced strong criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who worried it could give payments to those prosecuted for the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. 

These debates have run alongside other contested moves, including a decision to shut down a deep-ocean monitoring system that scientists have objected to. After the interview aired on Sunday, Welker gave an update on the situation. 

She said, “I spoke with President Trump on Saturday and we both acknowledged the complications during the interview posed by the rain. He agreed to sit down with me for another Meet the Press interview.” The White House has not yet commented on the exchange.