Donald Trump is said to have blamed 'disruptive' downpours for his furious meltdown during a high-profile TV interview, after branding a female presenter 'crooked'. NBC anchor Kristen Welker has lifted the lid on the backstage drama, revealing the US President reached out to her the morning after the explosive clash with a classic weather excuse.
The Interview Meltdown
Trump threw an epic tantrum and stormed out of their Meet the Press taping last Sunday, but later tried to smooth things over by pinning his sour mood entirely on the rain. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Welker said: 'I spoke to him the morning after the interview, and without getting into an exact verbatim of what was said, he effectively said, Look, the rain was disruptive. We're going to do this again in Washington.'
The seasoned journalist insisted she wasn't rattled by the confrontation or the post-match phone call. She said: 'I've covered President Trump since 2015 when he was a candidate, and it doesn't faze me at all. It's part of the conversation. I anticipate it to some extent. I try to stay focused on the content of my questions and on getting answers. Because that's my goal, particularly in a presidential interview – to have that amount of time with a president. My goal is to get answers on behalf of the American people.'
Background of the Interview
Ahead of the broadcast, Welker also took to social media to acknowledge the chat was 'unfortunately complicated by weather issues' but maintained it was still 'a substantial conversation.' The fiery interview was filmed in a Wisconsin barn following an agricultural event, rather than its original Washington, D.C. venue. As heavy rain battered the metal roof of the makeshift studio, tension boiled over around the 35-minute mark when Welker grilled Trump on his claims the 2020 election was rigged.
Losing his cool, Trump snapped and told the host she was either 'crooked or stupid.' When Welker hit back, Trump said: 'You're crooked, and Meet the Press is crooked, and so is ABC and CBS and CNN, one-sided crooked networks.' He then cut the interview short, saying: 'Let's call it quits, because I've had enough…Thank you, darling. Have a good time.' Welker tried to protest, but a fuming Trump shot back: 'I've sat in the rain with you for an hour. On and off in the rain. And I've given you enough time.'
He added: 'You want to straighten out your press because, you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest press.' As Trump marched past straw bales and John Deere tractors, Welker said: 'I travelled all the way to Wisconsin for this interview.'
History of Outbursts
The incident is just the latest in a long line of Trump outbursts directed at female members of the press. He previously targeted New York Times reporter Katie Rogers, calling her 'ugly, both inside and out.' The 79-year-old also took aim at CBS News anchor Weijia Jiang by suggesting she lacked the intelligence to pass a basic cognitive test. In another shocking moment, he dismissed Bloomberg journalist Catherine Lucey with the insult: 'Quiet, piggy.'
Just days before his Wisconsin blow-up, Trump also lashed out at CNN's Kaitlan Collins when she questioned him over a proposed $1.8 billion Department of Justice 'anti-weaponization' fund intended to aid January 6 rioters. Gesticulating at Collins, Trump said: 'CNN's a very corrupt organisation, with a corrupt reporter standing right there.' He added: 'She's a young, beautiful woman. I never see a smile on her face. I see her standing with hatred in her eyes.'
