During the interview, which aired on Meet the Press, Trump claimed both the current primary elections in California and the 2020 presidential election were ‘rigged,’ according to the BBC. The president walked out after being repeatedly challenged by the show’s presenter, Kristen Welker.

Clash Over Evidence and Media Accusations

When Welker pressed Trump for evidence regarding the California vote, he replied, ‘All I have to do is look, and I listen.’ After the presenter responded, ‘that’s not evidence,’ Trump accused the media of being ‘crooked,’ before ending the interview: ‘Sorry, let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.’

Trump’s relationship with traditional media has long been strained, with the president often accusing outlets of bias against him. The interview, set in a barn at an event with farmers in Wisconsin, was delayed multiple times due to technical difficulties and heavy rain affecting the metal roof. NBC reported that he walked out 50 minutes after the interview began on Friday.

Discussion on Iran and Election Funding

A significant portion of the interview focused on Trump’s stance on the conflict with Iran. He insisted the US needed to act to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and claimed it would not result in an ‘endless war.’

‘We’re there for a few months and the threat is largely over,’ he said. Around six minutes before ending the interview, Trump and Welker discussed the ‘anti-weaponisation’ fund, a now-dropped plan to create a $1.8bn (£1.3bn) fund to compensate individuals who claimed they were unfairly targeted or investigated by the government.

The proposed fund drew strong criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, who argued it could result in payments to people prosecuted over the US Capitol riot on 6 January 2021. The discussion then shifted to the riot, with Trump again repeating his unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

California Primary Election Disputes and Interview Confrontation

Trump brought up the California primary elections, where votes are still being counted to determine which candidates will appear on the ballot in November’s midterm elections. He claimed the results had not been called after four days, adding, ‘They’re cheating on the election.’

‘Do you have evidence to support that?’ Welker responded. ‘All I have to do is look, and I listen,’ the president replied. ‘But that’s not evidence,’ she interjected. Full results have not yet been called in the state, where delays are common due to a careful vote-counting process and widespread use of mail-in ballots, a method that has long been a source of frustration for Trump.

‘They’re crooked,’ he continued, ‘just like you’re crooked.’ Welker responded, ‘To be fair, I’m not crooked. But let’s continue.’ Trump then told Welker, ‘you’re either crooked or you’re stupid,’ and said, ‘Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you darling, have a good time.’

Welker attempted to continue the interview, but Trump interrupted: ‘I’ve sat in the rain with you for an hour, 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.’

He then gestured to people behind the camera, saying ‘come on, let’s go,’ before standing up and walking off the set. After the interview was broadcast, Welker said: ‘I spoke with President Trump on Saturday and we both acknowledged the complications during the interview posed by the rain. He agreed to sit down with me for another Meet the Press interview.’

The BBC has approached the White House for comment.