Donald Trump ends tense 'Meet the Press' interview, walks away from host
President Donald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" and walked away after moderator Kristen Welker challenged him about unsubstantiated claims of "cheating" in the California primary elections.
The dustup between Trump and Welker arrived during a rain-heavy sit down, full of weather-related interruptions, amid the president's pre-midterms visit to Wisconsin, a crucial swing state for both parties that he won in 2024.
After Welker noted that "Republicans are doing well in California" following the June 2 primary contests, Trump said "they're dropping fast because it's a rigged election," which led to a tense back-and-forth in the interview that aired June 7.
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Republicans have criticized the dayslong, ongoing counting process in California's primary races.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, a conservative, and Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton are both in second place standings in their respective contests, but Democratic foes have gained ground. California has what's known as "jungle primaries," in which all candidates regardless of party compete against each other, and the top two hopefuls advance to the general election.
President Trump speaks with Ken Custer Friday, June 5, 2026 at Custer Farms Inc. in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Also shown are Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, left, and Joe Thomas of Hall of Fame Farms. Trump promoted his administration's efforts to lower costs and open new trade markets for farmers and to boost the economy in rural areas through tax incentives for investors in such areas of the country. It was the president’s first trip to the Wisconsin since being reelected in 2024.
Trump, 'Meet the Press' moderator Welker spar over California elections
As Welker and Trump discussed the California races, including the vote-tallying process, Welker noted "that's how they count the votes in California." Trump responded, asking, "Do you know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating on the election."
Welker then asked Trump if he had evidence to support his claims, and the president responded that "all I have to do is look" and "I listen to people." The NBC anchor again asked for evidence of election fraud and repeated that the typical dayslong process is "how they count the votes in California."
Trump then questioned if it's appropriate to count votes five days after Election Day, and Welker said California officials are urging a quick vote count but have pointed out that the process is slow.
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Trump told Welker that "they're crooked just like you're crooked, your press is crooked and 'Meet the Press' is crooked." Welker denied the accusations, and Trump said her questions played into "their hands."
Trump ends 'Meet the Press' interview
Welker urged Trump to continue the interview as he called her "either stupid or crooked." The president also criticized other news outlets, including ABC, CBS and CNN.
Trump then looked to end the interview, appearing to remove his microphone to throw it.
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"Sorry. Let's call it quits because I've had enough," Trump said. "Thank you, darling. Have a good time."
When Welker told Trump she traveled to Wisconsin for the interview, as "MTP" is typically filmed on set in Washington, he responded that "I sat in the rain with you for an hour." As Welker tried to continue the conversation, Trump said he sat "on and off in the rain, and I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press."
Kristen Welker, pictured in 2020, moderated a June 7 episode of "Meet the Press" with President Donald Trump.© Jim Bourg, Reuters
The interview ended, and Welker said from the show's Washington studio that she spoke with Trump on June 6 and they both noted the weather complications. The "MTP" host also revealed that Trump agreed to speak with her for another interview.
Dr. Oz offers advice to sufferers of 'Trump derangement syndrome': 'Treating stupid is really hard'___118___
Dr. Oz offers advice to sufferers of ‘Trump derangement syndrome’: ‘Treating stupid is really hard’
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz had some blunt advice for critics of President Donald Trump, whom the commander in chief often says suffer from "Trump derangement syndrome."
"I am concerned about folks who have focused their entire life energy on dislike of the president," Oz told reporters on Tuesday. "It's disheartening to see people lost that way, but treating stupid is really hard."
Oz was the fourth Trump Cabinet official to brief reporters while White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is on maternity leave after the birth of her second child.
The briefing ranged from questions about his anti-fraud efforts to Trump's health after last week's third visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in a year.
"He does really well," Oz said. "He aces the test every single day, and I do actually believe that he is curious to make sure everything is going in the right direction. He's a very meticulous person in so many ways that are often underappreciated. But for him to want to know all the numbers and keep on top of him, it's the same reason he calls people at odd hours, because something's on his mind, he wants to deal with it."
"I think he likes the results," Oz added.
Reporters also asked about Trump's decision on Tuesday to appoint his housing finance guru Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.
"I do trust the president's judgment," he said. "He is a very sharp and quick study of people, their emotional abilities, and their ability to persevere in the face of hardship, so I have confidence in his decision."
FBI Assisting After Graham’s Sudden Death As Questions Continue
FBI Assisting After Graham’s Sudden Death As Questions Continue
The sudden death of one of Washington’s most influential Republicans continues to generate questions, with a new announcement from the FBI adding another development to an already closely watched story.
While many public figures have speculated about what may have happened, federal officials have so far limited their comments to confirming they are assisting authorities as the investigation into Sen. Lindsey Graham’s death continues.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting local authorities following the unexpected death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died Saturday at the age of 71 after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
“Our FBI is assisting local authorities and has made every necessary resource available,” Patel wrote on X.
Patel did not elaborate on the nature of the FBI’s assistance, and neither the bureau nor local authorities have indicated that foul play is suspected.
Graham’s office announced his death early Sunday morning but did not disclose an official cause of death.
According to multiple reports, emergency dispatchers received a 911 call from Graham’s Washington, D.C., residence at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday for a person experiencing cardiac arrest.
Authorities have not publicly released the findings of any medical examination, and no official cause of death has been announced.
The longtime South Carolina senator had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visited Ukrainian military facilities while reaffirming his support for continued U.S. backing in the country’s war against Russia.
Graham had also been one of the Senate’s most outspoken advocates for strong action against Iran and other U.S. adversaries.
Following news of his death, Iranian state television aired comments from a presenter celebrating Graham’s passing because of his outspoken positions on Iran and U.S. foreign policy.
The combination of Graham’s high-profile national security role, his recent overseas travel and the absence of an official cause of death has prompted widespread public speculation online.
Megan Mobbs, director of the Center for American Safety and Security at the Independent Women’s Forum, argued that a cardiac arrest call alone does not explain what caused Graham’s heart to stop.
“Cardiac arrest tells us how his life ended. It does not tell us why his heart stopped,” Mobbs wrote on X.
She said the circumstances warranted “a complete forensic autopsy, preservation of all relevant biological specimens, comprehensive toxicology and histology, and consultation with federal law enforcement and counterintelligence authorities.”
Conservative commentator Matt Van Swol questioned the timing of Graham’s death, pointing to recent video showing the senator appearing healthy during his trip to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, conservative activist Laura Loomer called for a full investigation, citing past threats made against Graham by individuals associated with Russia.
Others urged caution against jumping to conclusions.
Townhall columnist Dustin Grage wrote that a source told him Graham had dealt with blood pressure issues for decades and noted that the senator’s father also died from cardiac arrest at age 69.
“I know the conspiracy theories won’t stop, but sometimes life just happens. Not everything is a conspiracy,” Grage wrote.
Radio host Dana Loesch echoed that sentiment, saying sudden cardiac events often occur without warning.
For now, the confirmed facts remain limited: Graham died following what his office called a brief and sudden illness, the FBI has confirmed it is assisting local authorities, and officials have not announced an official cause of death.
Until additional information is released by investigators or the medical examiner, questions surrounding the circumstances of Graham’s death are likely to continue.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
'HE WON'T SURVIVE' – FRIGHTENING NEW TRUMP PREDICTION SHAKES D.C.
Rosie O’Donnell Makes Chilling Prediction About Trump’s Future
Actress and comedian Rosie O’Donnell has made it clear that she does not like President Donald Trump, and he feels the same way about her.
In fact, O’Donnell was so upset by Trump’s 2024 victory, she packed up and moved to Ireland.
But she has returned at least once since she relocated there in January 2025, and she continues to make appearances on U.S.-based political news programs.
On Friday, for instance, she appeared on Jake Tapper’s CNN program to claim, without any evidence, that Trump’s health was declining the way Joe Biden declined during his term.
O’Donnell predicted that Trump would die before the end of his term because his demise is visible and apparent to everyone who is not willfully blind.
Tapper had asked O’Donnell if she intended to return to the United States once Trump leaves office in January 2029.
The comedian then responded that she didn’t think he would last that long, claiming his alleged cognitive decline is obvious.
To support her claim, she pointed to Trump’s mistakenly referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “Putin” during the NATO summit last week in Ankara, Turkey.
“He makes the kind of mistakes that you would forgive at Thanksgiving dinner, but you would never let grandpa cut the turkey — because it might be dangerous because he doesn’t know what he’s saying,” she said.
Tapper noted that Trump also appeared to refer to Iran as the “Islamic Republic of Japan” in recent remarks.
O’Donnell claimed that was further evidence of what she called his “dementia.”
Neither O’Donnell nor Tapper applied the same standard during President Biden’s very obvious mental decline while in office, however.
The actress also falsely claimed that under Trump “fascism has already arrived” in the U.S., while criticizing left-wing Democrats for not treating the current situation as emergent, the Washington Times reported.
The latest remarks add to the long-running public feud between O’Donnell and Trump.
Trump has repeatedly criticized O’Donnell on Truth Social and has threatened to revoke her citizenship, referring to her as a “Threat to Humanity.”
O’Donnell’s comments mirror similar accusations from other prominent Democrats.
Earlier this month, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker suggested in an interview with CNN that Trump’s rhetoric reflected “dementia.”
The White House rejected the claim, calling it a “desperate” attempt to gain attention and defending the president’s health as “exceptional.”
O’Donnell “quietly” returned to the U.S. in February unannounced. At one point during her visit, she gave former CNN host Chris Cuomo an interview for his SiriusXM show “Cuomo Mornings.”
“I was recently home for two weeks, and I did not really tell anyone,” she told Cuomo.
“I just went to see my family. I wanted to see how hard it would be for me to get in and out of the country,” she said, hinting that it was somehow harder to do since Trump came back into office.
“I wanted to feel what it felt like. I wanted to hold my children again. And I hadn’t been home in over a year,” she said.
O’Donnell then said she “wanted to make sure that it was safe” to return before summer when her daughter was on school break.
She then said America “feels like a very different country” to her than when she lived here.
That’s because she hasn’t “been watching the news” or keeping up with “American culture television” while living in Ireland, she said.
“I’ve been in a place where celebrity worship does not exist,” she said.
“I’ve been in a place where there’s more balance to the news. There’s more balance to life,” O’Donnell went on.
“It’s not everyone trying to get more, more, more. It’s a very different culture. And I felt the United States in a completely different way than I ever had before I left,” she said.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
