US President Donald Trump abruptly ended a live television interview after a heated exchange with NBC journalist Kristen Welker over his repeated claims that American elections have been rigged.
The confrontation unfolded during Trump’s appearance on Meet the Press in Wisconsin, where the president was questioned about allegations of election fraud in both the 2020 presidential election and recent primary elections in California.
Trump insisted that election manipulation was taking place, claiming without presenting specific evidence that voting processes were being compromised.
“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 during the interview.
When Welker repeatedly asked him to provide proof to support the allegations, the exchange quickly became tense.
Responding to the request for evidence, Trump said: “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.”
The president then turned his criticism toward the media, accusing NBC and several major American news organisations of bias.
“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… Your elections are crooked, and you’re crooked, and ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked. And so are ABC, and CBS, and CNN,” Trump said.
As Welker continued pressing him on the lack of evidence behind the claims, Trump appeared frustrated and decided to cut the interview short.
“You’re either crooked, or you’re stupid. Let’s call it quits. Because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling,” he told the journalist before ending the conversation.
Welker responded by noting the effort made to secure the interview, saying, “I traveled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview,” as Trump stood up to leave.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of US elections, particularly the 2020 presidential race, citing what he describes as irregularities, procedural changes and concerns raised by supporters.
However, election officials, independent reviews and multiple court rulings have consistently found no evidence of widespread voter fraud capable of changing the outcome of the 2020 election.
The latest clash is expected to reignite debate over election integrity, media relations and the increasingly combative relationship between Trump and major US news networks as political tensions continue to rise ahead of future elections.
