President Donald Trump called “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker “crooked” and “stupid” after she objected to her comments about California’s election security.
5 takeaways from the California primary
Today, California reporter Noe Padilla breaks down five key takeaways from California’s primary election and what they mean for voters now.
President Donald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” and walked away after being challenged by host Kristen Welker over baseless claims of “rigging” in the California primary.
The conflict between Mr. Trump and Mr. Welker arose during the president’s visit to Wisconsin before the midterm elections, during a sit-in that was frequently interrupted by rain and weather. Wisconsin is a key battleground state for both parties that the president could win in 2024.
When Mr. Welker pointed out after the June 2 primary that “Republicans are doing well in California,” Mr. Trump said, “Our approval ratings are rapidly declining because the election was fraudulent,” leading to a tense exchange in the interview that aired on June 7.
Republicans have criticized the multi-day vote counting process in California’s primary election.
Conservative Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt and Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton are both in second place in their respective races, but their Democratic opponents have the upper hand. California has a “jungle primary” in which all candidates, regardless of political party, compete and the top two advance to the general election.
Trump, “Meet the Press” host Welker clash over California election
As Welker and Trump discussed California’s election, including the vote tabulation process, Welker pointed out that “that’s how they count votes in California.” In response, President Trump asked, “Do you know why they’re doing that? Because they’re rigging the election.”
Mr. Welker then asked President Trump if he had any evidence to support his claims, to which the president replied, “All I have to do is look,” and “I listen to what people have to say.” The NBC anchor again called for evidence of election fraud, repeating that the process, which typically takes several days, is “how the votes are counted in California.”
President Trump later questioned whether it was appropriate to hold the vote count five days after Election Day, and Welker said California officials are urging a speedy vote count, but noted that the process is slow.
President Trump told Welker: “They’re crooked, just like you guys are crooked. Your news outlets are crooked, and ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked.” Mr. Welker denied the accusations, and Mr. Trump said her questions were driven “to their own devices.”
Trump ends ‘Meet the Press’ interview
Welker urged Trump to continue the interview after he called her “stupid or twisted.” The president also criticized other news organizations, including ABC, CBS and CNN.
Trump then attempted to end the interview, removing his microphone and appearing to throw it.
President Trump said, “I’m sorry. I’ve had enough of it, so I’m going to stop doing it.” “Thank you, darling. I hope you have a great time.”
When Welker told Trump he had traveled to Wisconsin for the interview, since “MTP” typically shoots on sets in Washington, Trump responded, “We sat in the rain for an hour.” When Mr. Welker tried to continue the conversation, Mr. Trump said, “We’ve been sitting and sitting in the rain. We’ve given you plenty of time. You should straighten up the press.”
The interview ended, and Welker said from the show’s Washington studio that he spoke with Trump on June 6 and that both men mentioned the complexity of the weather. The “MTP” host also revealed that President Trump has agreed to speak with her for another interview.
