Trump walks out of interview after being pressed for evidence
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump abruptly ended his interview with NBC's Meet the Press anchor Kristen Welker on Sunday. The incident occurred after Welker pressed him to provide evidence for his allegations of rigged elections in California. The interview began with Trump complaining about California's slow vote-counting process, which he attributed to election cheating.
Accusations
Trump asked to provide evidence
When Welker explained that California's vote count process was normal because of mail-in ballots and election procedures, Trump refused to back down. He said, "Do you know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating in the election." "All I have to do is look," Trump said when asked for evidence, adding he said he listens to people. The conversation then turned to whether it was appropriate to still be counting votes five days after election day.
Accusations
Trump calls California election officials 'crooked'
Trump also called California election officials "crooked," along with Welker and her media colleagues. He said, "They're crooked, just like you're crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked." When Welker tried to defend herself by saying she wasn't crooked, Trump doubled down on his accusations. He said, "You're either crooked or you're stupid."
Interview conclusion
'Let's call it quits because I've had enough'
The interview ended with Trump saying, "Sorry. Let's call it quits because I've had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time," before tossing his microphone on the ground. This isn't the first time Trump has made headlines for his comments about journalists. He recently slammed CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins at another press event, calling the network "a very corrupt organization."