Donald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press after an exchange with Kristen Welker over California elections, accusing the state of cheating and describing media coverage as “crooked.” The interview ended with Trump telling Welker to
Donald Trump didn’t just walk out of the interview—he cut it off mid-conversation.
On NBC News’ Meet the Press, Trump and Kristen Welker were discussing elections when Welker pointed out, “Republicans are doing well in California.” Trump’s response came fast: “they’re dropping fast because it’s a rigged election.”
Welker pushed back by tying his claim to the actual mechanics of vote counting. “that’s how they count the votes in California,” she said. Trump answered with a sharper, unbacked escalation. “Do you know why they’re doing that? Because they’re cheating on the election.”
When Welker asked for proof, Trump didn’t provide evidence—he pointed to perception. “all I have to do is look” and “I listen to people.”
The exchange then widened into a broader complaint about trust in news outlets. Trump continued his rant about distrusting “mostly every news network. ” calling Welker’s platform “a one-sided crooked network.” He told her. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”.
Welker asked him to stay, but Trump leaned into the hours already spent together. “I sat in the rain with you for an hour….On and off in the rain,” he said, adding, “and I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press. A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”
After the interview, NBC News began fact checking Trump’s election claims. It pointed to what Trump called “the long vote count in California. ” saying it’s tied to the state’s election rules and its reliance on mail-in voting. which has long been a target of ridicule by the president. NBC News noted that more than 80% of California’s voters cast a ballot by mail in recent elections. It said ballots postmarked by election day can be accepted up to a week afterward. then must be validated. processed and tallied—while states that vote largely in-person can often report results more quickly because those processes happen at the polls with the voter present.
NBC News also addressed Trump’s point about Republicans’ margins “dropping fast” during the count. It said that is not fraud as Trump claimed. The outlet said Democratic voters have been more likely to embrace mail-in voting. especially in the post-Covid era. and that as those ballots are counted. Democratic candidates’ numbers tend to improve.
The interview ends with Trump’s accusations left contested—and with Welker’s request for evidence unanswered.
Donald Trump Kristen Welker Meet the Press NBC News California elections rigged election mail-in voting election fraud claims media bias fact checking