President Donald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC News anchor Kristen Welker, took off the microphone and leave the set after a tense back-and-forth over the integrity of the election.
what happened?
The interview took place at Wisconsin aired Sunday on “Meet the Press” and covered a range of topics including the Iran war, potential interest rate hikes and a proposed $1.776 billion “weaponization” fund to compensate Jan. 6 defendants.
Despite recent setbacks, Trump has expressed support for the fund.
“If it were up to me, I would pay them what they deserve,” Trump said. “People are destroyed. Lives are destroyed. Think about it, a lot of people committed suicide.”
The conversation then turned to Trump’s repeated claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. He claims a similar problem is now occurring in the California gubernatorial primary.
As of Sunday, 73% of the votes had been counted for Democrat Xavier Becerra, leading Republican Steve Hilton by less than 1 percentage point, according to Decision Desk headquarters. Hilton held a wider lead over Democrat Tom Steyer for second place, but the race for that spot remains up in the air.
“It is [been] Four days and they haven’t even figured out yet [results],” Trump said. “Do you know why they did that? Because they cheated in the election. “
When Welker asked for evidence, he responded, “All I have to do is see.”
He added that California election officials were “disingenuous,” before turning his criticism toward Welker and the media.
“They are distorted, just like you are distorted, your media is distorted. ‘Meet the Press’ is distorted,” Trump said.
Welker responded: “To be fair, I’m not curvy.”
“You’re either dishonest or you’re stupid,” Trump retorted. “You’re playing right into their hands with this nonsense. You know these elections are rigged. Your networks know they’re rigged.”
After further exchanges, Trump declared, “Your election was dishonest, you were dishonest, ‘Meet the Press’ was dishonest. So was ABC, CBS and CNN. You guys.” [a] Unilaterally curved networks. “
He ended the interview by saying, “Sorry. Let’s just call it a day because I’ve had enough. Thank you, honey. Have fun.”
Trump took off the microphone, threw it on the ground, stood up and left. When Welker noted her trip to Wisconsin for a sit-in, he responded that he had given her enough time, adding, “A country can never become great because of a dishonest media.”
reaction
The moment quickly sparked debate on social media, with some users describing Trump as looking “unwell” or “unhinged.”
One user wrote on
Another added: “He looks very sick and can’t control his emotions.”
On Trump’s health
Last month, White House physician Dr. Sean Barbera released a report declaring the president “in excellent health” and “fully fit” to serve as commander in chief. Trump is undergoing comprehensive testing Walter Reedincluding CT scans, cardiac imaging, cancer screenings and evaluations by 22 experts.
“His rigorous schedule, including multiple high-level meetings, public engagement and regular physical activity, continues to support his overall health,” Bababella wrote.
