Fox News Host Struggles to End Donald Trump's Rambling Phone Interview as President Insists Their Long Chat Is 'Good for Ratings'

Fox News host Larry Kudlow awkwardly cut off President Donald Trump mid-sentence during a live phone interview on Sunday Morning Futures.

The tense exchange ended a 30-minute broadcast covering various political topics when Kudlow tried to wrap up the segment, prompting Trump to deliver a final rambling monologue.

During the interview, Trump repeatedly declared that the U.S. is currently the "hottest country in the world," boasting that even the King of Saudi Arabia had used that phrasing to describe America's economic status.

“We have number one growth in the world,” he said, adding, “We’re the hottest country in the world."

“We have the lowest crime now,” he said. “With all the stuff they let in. So many were taken out.”

To all his aforementioned brags and baseless claims, Kudlow replied with one word: “Yes.”

He touted that the U.S. has the "best healthcare plans in the world" while acknowledging it "doesn't cover everybody."

He used this point to criticize "Medicare for All" and socialized medicine.

Trump congratulated himself on "rebuilding the military" during his first term and criticized former President Joe Biden for sending significant portions of U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

“Video from the studio showed a glum-faced Kudlow nodding along dispassionately while struggling to remain still in his seat,” noted The Daily Beast of the exchange.

When Kudlow, 79, asked a final question about whether he would end his campaign on an optimistic note, Trump ignored the prompt and instead launched into an unprompted monologue of praise.

“Well, I think I’m the biggest. That’s why I’m campaigning like crazy. I’ve never campaigned for midterms. You know, a president generally loses midterms no matter if — I don’t know why, nobody’s ever explained that,” Trump bloviated. “I’m campaigning harder than I would for myself because we have so many good people, and they want to keep it going, and I don’t want to see them turning around.”

The 80-year-old POTUS called Kudlow "one of my great students of all time" and assured him he wouldn't get in trouble for letting the interview run over because the segment generated "good ratings."

Kudlow served as the Director of the National Economic Council (NEC) under Trump from 2018 to 2021.

“Larry, we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world, and you just got good ratings so they’re not going to bother you,” Trump continued as Kudlow attempted to cut off the interview. “I’m proud of you, Larry! I’m proud of you.”

As the interview cut Trump off mid-sentence, Kudlow concluded, “I love talking to him. Old friends.”