Trump Ends Meet the Press Interview Over Election and Fund Questions

A pre-recorded interview between President Donald Trump and NBC's Kristen Welker ended early when Trump removed his microphone and left the set. The exchange occurred Friday in a barn in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, during rain, and aired Sunday on Meet the Press. Welker had pressed Trump on two topics: his repeated assertions that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and questions about a proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund.

Trump stated that the 2020 election was stolen and that a similar process was underway in California's current gubernatorial race, where votes were still being counted days after the primary. When asked for evidence, he replied that local officials were crooked and that he needed only to look at the situation. He also described January 6 defendants as having been ushered into the Capitol by the FBI and said they accepted plea deals out of fear of harsher sentences. Welker noted the absence of supporting evidence for these statements.

The interview then turned to the anti-weaponization fund. Trump said he would be disappointed if Congress did not approve nearly $1.8 billion for people he described as targeted by prior Justice Department actions. Welker asked whether individuals who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6 would receive payments. Trump did not answer directly. He later said the network was crooked and ended the session, telling Welker, "Let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time." He appeared to step on the microphone while leaving.

Welker later stated on air that she spoke with Trump the following day and that both noted the rain had complicated the interview. Trump separately described the setting as a beautiful barn and said he had become angry because of the weather. The fund itself had faced legal challenges and internal Republican opposition; acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers it was not moving forward. No transcript of the full exchange has been released by NBC.