U.S. President Donald Trump stormed out of an NBC Meet the Press interview after facing questions over potential compensation for Jan. 6 rioters and being pressed to provide evidence of election fraud, which he falsely claimed happened in 2020 and has said without evidence is occurring currently in the California gubernatorial primaries.
His exit came during a heated exchange with NBC journalist Kristen Welker in an interview on Friday from a farm in Wisconsin, which aired on Sunday.
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“It’s happening right now in California,” the president said, arguing that the state’s multi-day vote counting process amounted to evidence of fraud and then suggesting that Republican votes were “dropping fast because it’s a rigged election.”
“The Republicans are doing well in California,” Welker responded, before adding that there is no evidence of fraud in either the 2020 federal election or the ongoing California primaries.
In California, the top two candidates in a gubernatorial election advance to a general election. Polls show Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra advancing to the general election with Republican Steve Hilton in second place with 72 per cent of the vote in.
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When Welker asked the president to provide evidence of fraud in California, he said, “All I have to do is look.”
“They’re crooked, just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked,” Trump added.
While Welker attempted to ask further questions, the president interrupted.
“You’re either crooked or you’re stupid. You play right into their hands with this crap,” he told her.
“You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they’re rigged,” he went on before unclipping his microphone and saying, “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.”
“Thank you, darling. Have a good time,” he said as he stood up and began to walk away.
Before cutting the interview short, Trump addressed the war in Iran, where he said he had “wiped out” a nuclear threat.
He also touched on the U.S. economy, rising gas prices, interest rates and his nearly $2-billion “anti-weaponization fund” — which was blocked by a federal judge last month — designed to compensate Americans “who suffered weaponization and lawfare.”
The proposed fund has spurred concerns it would be used to compensate individuals charged with assaulting police officers in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots who Trump said have been victimized by the country’s legal system.
More than 1,500 people pleaded guilty to crimes related to Jan. 6, according to the legal publication Lawfare.
On the first day of his second term as president, Trump granted mass clemency to people who were convicted of, or awaiting trial for, offences related to the 2021 attack.
“People have been hurt so badly by radical left lunatics that worked for the Biden administration and sleepy Joe, they’re vicious, they’re violent what they did to people, and of course they went after me more than anybody else,” he told Welker in defence of the fund.
“They raided Mar-a-Lago and all the other things but people have been badly hurt, they’ve committed suicide, they’ve lost their jobs, they’ve lost their families, they’ve lost their wives, they’ve lost everything over a fake weaponization of government.”
“If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve,” he went on, claiming the people who took part in the riots were targeted by a “bunch of thugs.”
His comments in support of the fund came less than a week after acting attorney general Todd Blanche told lawmakers during a House appropriations committee hearing that the administration would not move forward with it.
The idea for the fund stemmed from a settlement of a lawsuit the president brought against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the disclosure of his tax returns, which included an agreement to bar the agency from auditing him. Despite saying the fund had been scrapped last week, Blanche also said during the hearing that the IRS would still be prohibited from auditing Trump, his family and any related entities, according to a report by the Guardian.
The still have not addressed the issues that resulted in a Trump Presidency…twice.
All of their eggs are in the same basket.
It doesn’t matter if they are right or wrong – what matters is that they find consensus or tolerate their differences.
If neither side can acknowledge each other’s rights, find common ground, or learn to tolerate unique differences in their views, and neither side can concede their position – war is inevitable.
A responsible government does not resort to extremes and responsible media shouldn’t encourage it either.
I appreciate the anger and fear the Trump Presidency has brought to many in the world and I am definitely not a fan of his policies at all. I think he is a textbook bully.
Wearing these emotions, and worse, talking about potential strategies, through social media or traditional media sources, is eroding our ability to negotiate, let alone exercise any leverage to speak of in said negotiations.
Yes, Trump, yadda-yadda…but we need to stop giving him centre stage like celebrities recently did by obsessing about Trump instead of celebrating the US’ 250th anniversary. Instead of a concert, its going to be an over indulgent rally that plays not only to Trump’s strengths, but his narcissistic tendencies too.
Seriously…that is not the win it’s being spun as. To say history might look back on that day is to say they will have been too late to stop any foreboding strategy used against them and will instead, only have the capacity to react to a tragic outcome they have yet to percieve.
Stop wasting mental resources designed to fool those that are not even paying attention. Its go time, and its not a social media event or headline.
Takes a lyer to know a lyer
The people in the US were all watching how the Democrat was crying and gave her defeat speech on election day, then won all the counting for days after the election until she took a lead over Pratt. Then the minute she takes the lead, they announce they are done counting.
Show ID once and never show it again for the rest of your life is NOT voter ID. Ripe for abuse.
What an abusive jerk calling the woman interviewing crooked or stupid because she’s asking him for evidence and he can’t provide any. We all know who is really crooked and stupid.
You do meed ID in california to register General Rule: For most elections, you simply provide your name and address to the poll worker to receive your ballot.Exceptions for First-Time Voters: Under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), you may be asked for ID at the polls only if:It is your first time voting in a federal election in California.You registered by mail without providing a driver’s license number, state ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.Accepted ID Types: If you fall into the exception above, you can use a photo ID (like a passport or student ID) or a document that shows your name and address (like a utility bill or bank statement).
So he can’t provide any evidence and gets mad and storms off. That’s what people who are guilty of lying do. He acts like a big baby. Pathetic for someone who’s supposed to be a president.
“Buckets” is a liar of course. Probably trump sitting on his gold toilet posting.
No ID in California elections he says. bwahahahahahaha
Donny hates strong women as he’s used to getting kids from Epstein. Like Melania.
He is one pathetic excuse for a so called human being!! What a waste of flesh!
@Linda
Orange Man is right in this one. No voter ID in California. No way to control who votes or how often. We could go over and vote if we wanted!
The only reason to do this is to enable fraud.
trump has been a con his whole life like his dad.
Leave Don be.
Ronald Reagan got alzheimers too and you didn’t complain.
So what if he has the nuclear codes.
@ Matthew: You think the baby trump is a liberal?
I thought he was going to cry when the journalist asked for evidence for his bullzhit.
Why are Liberals so comfortable acting like poorly raised children? Diversity?
I particularly love the MAGAts who post comments repeating Trump’s lies. He lost the election. There was no fraud. Not sure whether MAGAts are too stupid to recognize Trump’s lies, or they are just liars like him, or both, but they are an embarrassment to humanity.
President Taco The Biggest Loser in the history of the US presidents
How can anyone still apologize for this buffoon?
Considering it was nothing other then a gotcha for NBC idk why Trump even bothered, its like expect the CBC to do proper reporting.
what a CRY BABY can throw insults but cannot take hard questions on his policy
NBC is trash why even bother giving an interview and anyone with common sense can see how corrupt California’s election system is . Their Governor actually made it illegal to ask for ID when voting ….no ID needed to vote ! Seems reasonable must be because the marginalized victim class downs r have ID? 🤔
Stop picking on TRump. Dementia is a terrible thing.
Difficult to take you seriously when you can’t spell liar. Either a bot or a recipient of our wonderful education system.
The man thats a chronic lier, accusing others of lying, but can’t back it up, despite past claims that the court has since dismissed. He can’t handle questions that he can’t back up…so he walks away.
@Linda Roussy – Anyone who has paid attention to the campaign in California can see there are some weird things going on.
Just because the bad orange man said it, doesn’t mean its 100% not true. Election Fraud is a thing. In the US and Canada.
Well here we go again! Orange man declares voter fraud in California. Hasn’t a clue what he and his administration has done to fail so badly the American people and why they are turning away from him. MAGA didn’t make America great again it has destroyed just about every area from sea to shining sea. Thankfully there are still some media that will ask the tough questions but like always Trump just humiliates the press and exits. Coward!
FCC will be taking a hard look at NBC.. Time for massive penalties!