Trump storms off 'Meet the Press' interview, rips Welker, ABC, CBS, CNN as 'crooked'
President Donald Trump abruptly ended a tense "Meet the Press" interview with host Kristen Welker in Wisconsin Sunday after she repeatedly challenged his claims about election fraud, California’s vote count and his proposed "anti-weaponization" fund.
Trump cut off the interview after accusing NBC, ABC, CBS and CNN of being "crooked" during a final exchange over his claims about U.S. elections.
"You’re a one-sided crooked network," Trump told Welker. "Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time."
The exchange escalated during the final block, when Welker pressed Trump on a proposed $1.8 billion fund intended to compensate people who said they were targeted by the former President Joe Biden administration’s alleged "weaponization" of government.
Welker asked Trump whether he was moving away from the fund after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration would not move forward with it.
"Just to be very clear, are you backing off the fund completely as your acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, has said, or are you looking for another avenue to revive the fund?" Welker asked.
Trump defended the proposal and said people had been harmed by officials in the Biden administration.
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"People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration and Sleepy Joe," Trump said. "They’re vicious. They’re violent, what they did to people. And, of course, they went after me more than anybody else."
Welker pressed Trump on whether he still wanted to revive the proposal.
"So are you looking for a way to revive it?" Welker asked.
Trump said he personally supported the idea but acknowledged it would need approval.
"If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve," Trump said. "So me, personally, I think the weaponization fund is a great idea, and so do many other Republicans. You have to get it approved."
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Trump later broadened his remarks, accusing the press and Biden officials of destroying people’s lives.
"I love the idea, because people like you, the fake dirty press, the crooked press, people like stupid Biden, he’s not smart enough to know what’s going on, but people that surrounded him, surrounded his beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, what they did to the lives of people, they destroyed people," Trump said.
Welker pushed back on Trump’s claims, saying the President had no evidence.
"Just to be very clear, there’s no evidence of what you’re saying," Welker said.
Trump rejected that.
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"There’s a lot of evidence," Trump said. "Listen to me. There’s tremendous evidence. There’s nothing but evidence."
Trump then repeated his claim that the 2020 election was rigged and connected it to California’s ongoing vote count.
"The election was rigged," Trump said. "It was a dirty election. And it’s happening again right now in California."
Trump pointed to the pace of California’s vote count, which takes over a month to certify state elections.
"All I have to do is look," Trump said. "They’re crooked just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked."
"Your elections are crooked, and you’re crooked, and ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked. And so is ABC and CBS and CNN," Trump said before ending the interview.
Welker attempted to keep the interview going, noting that NBC had traveled to Wisconsin for the sit-down.
"Mr. President, let’s... please, I traveled all the way to Wisconsin," Welker said.
Trump said he had already given Welker enough time.
"I sat in the rain with you for an hour," Trump said. "On and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest press."