U.S. President Donald Trump walked out during a televised interview after pushing back against the host's questions about election fraud and the Capitol riot. When the host asked for evidence to support his claims, he showed displeasure and unilaterally ended the interview.
On the 7th (local time), according to major outlets including the Washington Post (WP) and Axios, President Trump left the set after getting into a dispute with host Kristen Welker during NBC's "Meet the Press" interview that aired that day. The interview was conducted on the 5th at a barn on a farm in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. President Trump continued the interview for about 50 minutes before suddenly removing his microphone and standing up.
The conflict escalated over claims of election rigging. President Trump claimed that the 2020 presidential election and the recent California primary were "rigged." When the host asked for evidence, President Trump replied, "All I can do is watch and listen." Trump's side argues that because it takes an unusually long time to tally vote totals in California, election fraud is being carried out there. Under state law, California currently accepts mail ballots postmarked on Election Day as valid for up to one week. When the host countered, "But that is not evidence," President Trump criticized, saying, "You are either corrupt or stupid." He then said, "Let's stop here, I've done enough," added, "Thank you, have a good time," and left.
Before the fraud claims, the two also clashed while discussing compensation for those involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. President Trump characterized them as victims of unjust political prosecutions and stressed they should be compensated "through a $1.8 billion fund." Asked whether the 172 people convicted of assaulting police officers would also be eligible, President Trump did not exclude them and claimed, "Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents lured the rioters into the Capitol, and they pleaded guilty only because they feared harsher punishment."
Early in the interview, President Trump also took a hard line on potential military conflict with Iran. He warned that if he judged an agreement was not being reached quickly enough, he would use military force to strike Iran fiercely. By contrast, he added that if a deal were reached, the United States would directly step in to remove and destroy Iran's highly enriched uranium. Regarding his past pledge to avoid new wars, he said, "I promised nothing," drawing a line by saying the current Iran situation would last only months and was not an endless war.
Immediately after the interview, in a meeting with farmers, President Trump explained, "I was annoyed by the sound of rain hitting the tin roof." He said he conducted the interview for an hour in the rain and turned his criticism on "a dishonest media." President Trump has frequently clashed with legacy outlets in the past when they asked unfavorable questions or demanded verification.