Trump is sometimes confronted with a word that practically causes a presidential allergic reaction: “evidence.” Trouble soon follows.
Of course Triggered Trump abandoned his MTP interview: Kristen Welker used the one word that practically causes a presidential allergic reaction:
“Evidence.â€
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-06-08T12:08:36.770Z
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-meet-the-press-interview-election-claims
In the years following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump would routinely boast that he’d soon present evidence in support of his absurd electoral conspiracy theories. That never happened, of course, because there was no evidence to share: The Republican lost fair and square.....
Nearly three months later, the president sat down with NBC News’ Kristen Welker for his latest “Meet the Press” interview, and when the host dared to use the “e” word, he couldn’t simply shift his focus to a different reporter, so he instead abruptly ended the interview. MS NOW reported:
“You’re either crooked or you’re stupid,” Trump told Welker, who kept a cool demeanor despite the president’s barrage of disparaging slurs.
Moments before he attacked her, Trump — without providing any evidence — said he believes elections in the U.S. are rigged. Then he lambasted television news networks, singling out NBC, CBS and ABC.
“They’re crooked just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked,” Trump said.
In context, there was no great mystery as to what triggered the president and generated his interview-ending meltdown: After Trump wrapped up a conspiratorial rant about Jan. 6 rioters, Welker emphasized for viewers,
“Just to be very clear, there’s no evidence of what you’re saying.” He was clearly not pleased......
And so, he unraveled, ultimately walking away from questions he simply wasn’t prepared to answer, raised by a journalist who dared to ask him to back up his baseless claims.
WOW - Trump crashes out & cuts his interview w/ Welker short as she presses him on his lack of evidence for claiming elections are rigged
"You're either crooked or you're stupid. I've had enough. Thank you darling," he tells her"
"I traveled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview," she pleads
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-06-07T14:50:42.139Z
It was a timely reminder of a few unavoidable observations.
First, Trump tends not to do lengthy interviews with independent news organizations, which leaves him unprepared when they ask the kind of questions conservative outlets avoid.
Second, and relatedly, it’s no secret that the president has surrounded himself with sycophants and yes-men at the White House. He grew visibly enraged with Welker, not just because s
he professionally pushed back against obvious falsehoods, but also because she exposed Trump to reality in ways that obviously made him uncomfortable.
And
third, amid public discussion about his mental fitness, the president’s furious reaction suggested he’s also struggling to regulate his emotional outbursts.
As for the near future, the unpleasant exchange on NBC News should hopefully lead to additional questions in which Trump is again pressed for the 2020 evidence he claims exists, but which he’s refused to show.
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