Donald Trump Lashes Out at 'Crooked Media' as President Storms Out of NBC Interview With Kristen Welker

President Donald Trump’s latest sit-down with NBC’s Meet the Press ended less like a political interview and more like a reality-TV exit scene.

Trump walked out of a pre-recorded interview with Kristen Welker after she pressed him on his claims about rigged elections, prompting Trump to lash out at Welker, NBC and several other major networks before ending the conversation.

The exchange escalated after Welker challenged Trump’s claim that California’s elections are “rigged,” telling him there is “no evidence” of widespread rigging in U.S. elections.

“Do you have evidence?” she asked.

“All I have to do is look,” Trump replied.

When Welker responded, “That’s not evidence,” Trump snapped.

“You’re crooked, and Meet the Press is crooked, and so is ABC and CBS and CNN one-sided crooked networks. Let’s call it quits, because I’ve had enough,” Trump said. “Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”

As Welker tried to keep the interview going, Trump said, “I’ve given you enough time,” adding, “You ought to straighten out your press, because you know what, our country can never be great.”

Trump’s exit came roughly 50 minutes into the interview, which took place inside a barn in Wisconsin. Welker also questioned him on Iran, gas prices, farming and the economy before the interview ended.

Trump later claimed the weather had contributed to his mood.

“I just did an interview in the most beautiful barn I’ve ever seen,” he told reporters at an agricultural roundtable. “But it was raining. And it was with NBC fake news. And because it was raining, I got a little bit angry at them. I was not happy with them. But we had a good time.”

Welker later posted that the interview was “unfortunately complicated by weather issues,” but said they still had “a substantial conversation on issues from the Iran war to the economy to the so-called ‘anti-weaponization’ fund.”

“American politicians are not used to journalists pressing them relentlessly, especially by comparison with Britain,” said Quentin Langley, an Anglo-American media and rhetoric analyst. “Even in this context Trump is uniquely sensitive and delicate.”

Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman saw the moment differently, saying Trump’s frustration was overdue.

“Kristen was being incredibly entitled and rude, especially after the President had done the interview in the rain,” Lieberman noted.

“There was something very refreshing about how President Trump let loose,” she added. “He has been criticizing individual hosts and TV networks, but in this interview he put many of them altogether because she was the last straw. We could all finally exhale.”