Donald Trump exits after tense ‘Meet the Press’ interview
President Donald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” after Kristen Welker challenged baseless election claims.
- Before ending his interview on “Meet the Press,” President Trump told host Kristen Welker that he was either “crooked or stupid.”
- Mr. Welker and Mr. Trump explained that the rain made conversation difficult.
- President Trump has previously targeted journalists, calling them “pigs” and “terrible reporters.”
President Donald Trump walked out of an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” over the weekend.
Host Kristen Welker met with President Trump in Wisconsin on June 5, but the interview, which aired on June 7, was repeatedly interrupted by heavy rain pounding the metal roof of the barn.
When Mr. Welker confronted him about the lack of evidence of election fraud, Mr. Trump removed his microphone and called Mr. Welker “crooked or stupid.”
Trump later said he was upset about the heavy rain, and Welker said after the interview aired that Trump had agreed to return to the show. However, this incident is one of the few times President Trump has spoken ill of journalists. Others include:
President Trump slams NBC News as ‘crooked and stupid’
Before leaving the interview set in Wisconsin, Trump accused NBC News of being “distorted.”
Mr. Welker replied, “To be fair, I’m not a crooked person.”
“Really? Because you’re at their mercy. Either you’re crooked or you’re stupid,” Trump continued, repeating baseless claims of election fraud and accusing other networks of crookedness. “Enough is enough, let’s stop now. Thank you, darling. Have fun.”
Welker begged her to stay because she was traveling from Washington to Wisconsin, but Trump said he sat with her in the rain for an hour.
Both Trump and Welker acknowledged after the fact that rain was a complicating factor. Sometimes interviews would be interrupted by falling onto the roof with a loud bang.
“The press needs to straighten up, because you know what? A country can never become great if there is dishonest reporting. Now, let’s go,” he said as he walked away.
President Trump tells CNN’s Caitlan Collins there is ‘hate’ in his eyes
On June 3, as CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins was asking President Trump about the Anti-Weaponization Fund, Trump commented on Collins’ appearance at the time of the attack.
President Trump said of Collins: “CNN is a very corrupt organization with corrupt reporters standing there.” “She never smiles. She’s a young, beautiful woman who never smiles. I’ve never seen a smile on her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.”
Trump later told her to be quiet when she tried to interject. President Trump previously criticized her for not smiling when asked about the Epstein file on February 3. Following the June incident, CNN previously told USA TODAY:
“Caitlan Collins is an outstanding journalist who reports with real depth and tenacity from the White House and on the ground every day,” CNN said in a statement. “She expertly delivers that coverage to the Anchor Chair and CNN platforms every day, and viewers around the world know they can trust them.”
President Trump tells ABC reporter: ‘You’re a terrible reporter’
In another heated exchange in the Oval Office on Nov. 18, ABC News’ Mary Bruce asked why President Trump didn’t wait for Congress to pass the bill before ordering the release of the Epstein files.
“It’s not the question that bothers me, it’s your attitude. I think you’re a terrible reporter,” Trump said. “These are the questions I ask.”
Trump did not answer Bruce’s questions and continued to lash out at the reporter.
“This is a Democratic hoax,” Trump said, later adding, “The news coming out of ABC is so fake and so false that I think ABC should have its license taken away. And we have a great commissioner, we have a great commissioner, and we should look at that.”
Bruce addressed Trump’s response in a later segment on “Good Morning America,” saying Trump clearly didn’t like her question.
Trump calls Bloomberg a ‘quiet piglet’
On November 14, on Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, a reporter asked President Trump additional questions about the Jeffrey Epstein file.
Trump scolded her, pointing his finger at her, leaning over and saying, “Quiet! Quiet, pig.”
The reporter turned out to be Katherine Lucey of Bloomberg. Bloomberg said at the time that it was committed to fair and accurate reporting.
Contributors: Saman Shafiq, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), thread, blue sky and TikTok.
