President Donald Trump ended a taped NBC interview after Kristen Welker pressed him for evidence on election fraud claims and a disputed DOJ-backed fund.
President Donald Trump abruptly ended a taped NBC “Meet the Press” interview after host Kristen Welker pressed him for evidence behind his election fraud claims and questioned him about a disputed fund meant to compensate people who say they were targeted by the government.
The exchange, recorded during Trump’s appearance at an event with farmers in Wisconsin and aired Sunday, centered in its final minutes on the president’s long-running claims that elections have been rigged. When Welker asked for evidence that California’s ongoing primary counts involved cheating, Trump replied, “All I have to do is look, and I listen.”
Welker responded that the statement was not evidence. Trump then accused the media of being crooked and moved to end the interview, saying, “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.” He stood up and walked off the set after further remarks criticizing the press.
The confrontation came during a wide-ranging interview that also covered the war with Iran, interest rates and a proposed roughly $1.8 billion “weaponization” or “anti-weaponization” fund. The fund was designed to compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted or investigated by the government, but it has drawn objections from Democrats and some Republicans amid concerns that it could lead to payments for people prosecuted over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Trump said he wanted the fund to proceed despite recent setbacks. CNBC reported that the Justice Department backed off the plan last week and that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche described it as permanently halted. The fund was also blocked in court last month.
“I think the weaponization fund is a great idea,” Trump said in the interview, according to CNBC. “If they get it approved, that’s great; if they don’t get it approved, I’d be disappointed.”
The fund arose from a settlement ending Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax information in 2019 and 2020, CNBC reported. The settlement also included protections for Trump, family members and related business entities from tax audits and enforcement actions tied to tax returns filed before the settlement.
Welker also challenged Trump after he repeated his claim that the 2020 election was rigged. Trump has made such allegations for years, but the sources reviewed for this report noted that he has not presented viable proof in court to establish them.
Trump shifted from 2020 to California’s current primary elections, where vote counting was still underway. California sends mail ballots to registered voters and counts ballots postmarked by Election Day if they arrive within the allowed window, a process that can delay final results. Trump claimed, without providing evidence in the interview, that “they’re cheating on the election.”
NBC later said the interview had been complicated by technical problems and rain hitting the roof of the barn where it was recorded. After the broadcast, Welker said she and Trump had spoken and acknowledged those complications, and that Trump had agreed to sit down for another “Meet the Press” interview.
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