[Video below.] A tense interview between President Donald Trump and NBC News moderator Kristen Welker came to an abrupt end after a heated exchange over Trump’s continued assertions that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The confrontation escalated during the final minutes of the discussion, with Trump ultimately ending the interview and criticizing the network’s coverage.

The interview, which aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” grew increasingly contentious when Welker challenged Trump over his repeated claims that the 2020 election had been manipulated and questioned his assertions about election practices in California.

As Welker pressed for evidence supporting those allegations, Trump turned his criticism toward NBC itself.

“You’re a one-sided crooked network,” Trump fumed during the interview, which aired Sunday. “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”

Welker attempted to persuade the president to continue the conversation, reminding him that she had traveled to Wisconsin to conduct the interview. Trump, however, signaled that he had no interest in continuing.

“I sat in the rain with you for an hour,” he grumbled.

“On and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press,” he added. “A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”

After broadcasting the exchange, Welker disclosed that she later spoke with Trump and that he agreed to participate in another interview at a future date, though no timetable has been announced.

According to Welker, both she and the president acknowledged that challenging weather conditions had complicated portions of the interview, which was conducted outdoors and included periods of rainfall.

The interview’s tone shifted sharply during its closing minutes when Welker questioned Trump about a proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that had been designed to compensate individuals who claimed they had been harmed by politically motivated federal investigations and prosecutions.

The issue gained renewed attention after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche informed lawmakers last week that the Justice Department had abandoned plans for the controversial fund. Nevertheless, some observers have expressed concern that the proposal could resurface in the future.

Trump voiced support for the concept and indicated that he would like to see it move forward.

Welker then asked whether individuals involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot should be eligible for compensation under such a program.

“Now, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the weaponization fund. I love the idea,” Trump said. “People like stupid [former President Joe] Biden, he’s not smart enough to know what’s going on, but people that surrounded him … what they did to the lives of people, they destroyed people. They sent people to jail who did nothing wrong.”

Welker challenged those remarks, responding that “there’s no evidence of what you’re saying” before attempting to redirect the conversation to questions concerning Blanche and the Justice Department.

Instead, Trump returned to the subject of the 2020 election and reiterated his longstanding allegations regarding the outcome.

“The election was rigged. It was a dirty election,” Trump snapped about the election, which he lost to Biden before winning in 2024 against Democrat Kamala Harris.

Welker noted that Trump has not publicly produced evidence supporting those claims and continued pressing him on the issue. The exchange became increasingly strained, culminating in Trump’s decision to end the interview before its scheduled conclusion.

Despite the contentious ending, NBC indicated that discussions between Welker and the president remained cordial afterward, and both sides have expressed interest in conducting a follow-up interview in the future.

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}