New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump abruptly left a nationally televised interview Sunday, removing his microphone and dismissing the host with a curt “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”
The interview with NBC‘s Meet the Press, hosted by Kristen Welker, was taped at a barn in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, ahead of a farmers’ roundtable event Trump held Friday. It was his first appearance on the NBC programme since returning to office, covering several high-stakes topics, including the ongoing US conflict with Iran, economic indicators such as gas prices and job data, and a proposed “anti-weaponisation” fund intended to compensate individuals Trump claims were targeted by previous administrations.
However, the conversation took a sharp turn when Welker pressed on Trump’s longstanding claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that recent primary elections, particularly in California, were similarly “rigged”.
When the host pressed for concrete evidence, the US president claimed there was “tremendous evidence” without providing specifics. He then turned on Welker directly. “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid,“ he said. “You’re a one-sided crooked network.”
He stood up, ripped off his microphone, and left the interview.
“Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough.”
Welker requested that Trump continue with the interview, noting she had travelled all the way to Wisconsin. Trump responded that he had “sat in the rain” with her for an hour and had “given enough time”.
“A country can never be great with a dishonest press,” he added.
Trump later acknowledged his agitation at the farmers’ roundtable that followed, telling the crowd: “Because it was raining, I got a little bit angry at them.”
Trump’s stormy relationship with press
The moment quickly went viral, with CNN journalist Brian Stelter highlighting the abrupt end in a segment that captured the tension. He called it “one of the wildest interviews of Donald Trump”. Clips circulating on social media showed Trump’s frustration mounting as Welker calmly sought evidence for his claims.
NBC also released a fact-check of the full interview, which ran approximately 39 minutes before the cutoff, detailing discrepancies in Trump’s statements on elections, the Iran conflict, and domestic policy.
Reactions poured in swiftly across the political spectrum. Some framed Welker’s questioning as overly adversarial, while others saw the walkout as avoidance of legitimate inquiry. Social media commentary ranged from mockery of Trump’s exit to strong defence of his no-nonsense approach to perceived media hostility.
This episode is the latest chapter in Trump’s stormy relationship with the press. He has long accused major networks of bias and clashed with interviewers who challenge him directly. While his base sees these moments as him fighting back against unfair coverage, critics view them as evidence that he avoids tough accountability. The walkout is likely to fuel more debate in the weeks ahead.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)