The interview of U.S. President Donald Trump with NBC ended earlier than scheduled after a heated discussion about the elections. The argument flared up when the journalist asked the president to provide evidence for his claims of voting fraud.
The conversation with Meet the Press host Kristen Welker took place in Wisconsin during a meeting with farmers. According to NBC, the interview was recorded in a barn and was interrupted several times due to technical issues and the noise of rain hitting the metal roof, writes tv3.lv.
Most of the discussion focused on U.S. foreign policy, including the situation surrounding Iran. Trump reiterated that Washington intends to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and does not view its involvement as the beginning of a prolonged military conflict.
However, the most tense moment arose closer to the end of the interview when the topic shifted to the elections.
The president repeated his claims that the 2020 elections were rigged and criticized the vote-counting process in California, where the final results of some ballots are tallied days after Election Day.
When the journalist asked him to provide evidence for these claims, Trump responded that he was satisfied with what he sees and hears. This led to a dispute between the two.
Welker noted that such observations cannot be considered evidence. In response, the president accused the journalist of dishonesty and then stated that she is "either dishonest or stupid."
Despite the host's attempts to continue the conversation, Trump decided to end the interview.
"Sorry, we're done. I've had enough," the president said.
He added that he had spent nearly an hour with the journalist under difficult weather conditions and had already devoted enough time to the program. Before leaving, Trump also criticized the American media again, accusing them of bias and stating that the country needs more honest journalism.
The interview was then interrupted, and the president left the filming location.
However, the story took an unexpected turn. After the program aired, Kristen Welker reported that she contacted the president again the next day. According to her, the parties discussed the circumstances of the interview, and Trump agreed to participate in Meet the Press again in the future.
Conflicts between Donald Trump and leading American media have been ongoing for many years. The president regularly accuses major media outlets of bias, while his opponents point to the lack of evidence for many claims of election irregularities.
The latest spat with a journalist again highlighted how tense the relationship between the White House and traditional American media remains.
