Kristen Welker is an NBC News White House correspondent based in Washington, D.C., and host of Meet the Press since Sept 2023.
The California vote count remains unresolved days after polls closed as mail-in ballots are processed, triggering repeated claims from Donald Trump that the process is rigged. Officials say the delays reflect California’s open-primary system and mail-ballot rules, while Democrats call for federal voting standards to speed results.
President Donald Trump has walked out of an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker, after she questions his claims that the 2020 election and a California vote were rigged. Welker traveled to Wisconsin for the sit-down; the exchange turned contentious as Trump calls the press crooked and ends the interview, saying he has had enough.
Trump has reiterated that he has not guaranteed no wars and that the war with Iran is not an endless war, while defending a proposed fund for supporters and criticizing the election process and related allegations. In NBC’s Meet the Press interview, he emphasizes a strong military and ongoing international pressures.
The president has pressed Congress to approve a $1.776 billion “weaponization fund” to compensate those prosecuted after the January 6 riot, despite court challenges and political opposition. In a televised interview, he has argued that lives have been destroyed and vows to push for the payout, while opponents warn of political toxicity.
Donald Trump has walked out of a Meet the Press interview after pressing unverified claims that California elections were updated with cheating. He has insisted that the 2020 election was rigged and has argued that media outlets and Meet the Press are crooked. The exchange has prompted sharp commentary from late-night hosts and political critics. A follow-up interview has been agreed.