Donald Trump ripped off his microphone and stormed out of an interview after being asked about his election claims. The US President was granting an interview to NBC's Kristen Welker on Meet the Press when she questioned him about his assertions that the recent delayed California election results were "rigged".
Trump's Outburst
Trump responded: "The elections are like a third-world country. Your elections are crooked and you're crooked and Meet the Press is crooked and so is ABC and CBS and CNN. You are one-sided crooked networks…let's call it quits. I've had enough. Thank you darling have a good time."
Ms Welker urged him to stay, noting she had traveled "all the way" to Wisconsin for the interview. Trump retorted: "I've sat in the rain with you for an hour! I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press. You know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest press. Let's GO." He then left the set.
Exaggerated Claims on Iran
During the interview, Trump also made exaggerated claims about Iran, stating he had wiped out their forces leaving them with "nothing". He asserted that major arms of the Iranian military were "gone" due to the current war. "Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone," Trump said. He added: "In three months, I've demolished the navy, the air force, anti-aircraft. They have no radar. They have nothing." However, NBC analysis indicates that about half of Iran's unconventional navy remains intact after weeks of bombing.
Contradiction on War Promises
Ms Welker also pressed Trump on his campaign pledge not to start any new wars. Trump responded: "I didn't guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world? I built our military." Yet, while campaigning in Pennsylvania in 2024, Trump promised: "I will not send you to fight and die in stupid foreign wars that never end. I will not send our sons and daughters to go fight for a war in a country that you've never heard of. We're not going to do it. We're going to bring our troops home, and we're going to focus on America First." In his November 2024 victory speech, he also stated: "I'm not going to start a war. I'm going to stop wars."
A video of the incident shows Trump crashing out and walking away mid-interview, calling US elections "third world" and going after CNN, ABC, CBS, and Meet the Press.
