President Donald Trump stormed out of an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker after ripping the interview for being “crooked” and ranting about “rigged” elections.
The president’s interview aired Sunday on Meet the Press but was filmed on Friday while Trump was in Wisconsin for an agricultural roundtable. The interview was filmed inside a metal barn, with the president and Welker seated next to a tractor, and was interrupted several times by heavy rainfall.
The interview took a turn when Welker pressed Trump on his plans for the “anti-weaponization” fund, which was intended to compensate those targeted by “lawfare” and was blocked by a federal judge. The Justice Department later said it would not be moving forward with the plan.
Welker asked Trump if taxpayer dollars would be given to rioters who were charged as a result of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Trump responded by explaining that the fund was intended for people who were “hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that work for the Biden administration and Sleepy Joe,” referring to former President Joe Biden.
The president went on to discuss how the Biden administration “weaponized” the government, adding that he would “love” to see the fund work out, but he doesn’t know if it will. He then pointed to Welker, saying the “crooked press” contributed to the “destruction” of people charged under Biden.
Trump then pivoted his point on Biden, saying he was elected by a “dirty election,” and said such elections are still happening, pointing to the recent primary in California. He had discussed his thoughts on California’s vote counting in Wisconsin the same day the interview was conducted.
Trump took issue with the amount of time it is taking California to count the votes cast in the primary election, saying the state is “cheating.” Welker asked if the president had evidence, but he said, “All I have to do is look.”
He then went on to accuse Welker, NBC News, Meet the Press, and several other outlets of being crooked because they are not reporting that the elections are “rigged.”
“You’re either crooked or you’re stupid,” Trump said. “You play right into their hands with this. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they’re rigged. You know that I won an election in a landslide, and I got 94% bad press, because you have no credibility.”
TRUMP SLAMS CALIFORNIA FOR STILL TALLYING VOTES FOUR DAYS AFTER PRIMARY
Trump continued ranting as Welker tried to fit in more questions about the weaponization fund, but the president said he was done with the interview, thanking Welker for the time and wishing her a good day before walking away.
Welker said she spoke with Trump again on Saturday, and he agreed the heavy rainfall created complications during their time and agreed to do another Meet the Press interview.