President Trump concluded an interview with NBC News prematurely after host Kristen Welker challenged his assertions that recent election results in California were compromised.
During a broadcast of "Meet the Press" from Wisconsin on Sunday, Trump reiterated claims he had made in preceding days, alleging that California officials were engaged in "cheating" due to the protracted vote-counting process. Trump pointed to the fact that vote counts were not yet finalized days after the election as evidence of malfeasance.
As of Sunday, with over 70% of the vote tallied, Democratic politician Xavier Becerra held a narrow lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the gubernatorial race. Similarly, in the contest for Mayor of Los Angeles, the gap between former reality television personality Spencer Pratt and City Councilmember Nithya Raman had narrowed to a single percentage point.
When Welker pressed Trump for evidence supporting his claims of cheating, he responded by stating, "All I have to do is look." Welker countered that this was not evidence and explained that the delay in vote tabulation was characteristic of California's counting methods, a point acknowledged by state and local election officials who confirmed the process was slow.
"No, they're crooked... just like you're crooked. Your press is crooked and 'Meet the Press' is crooked," Trump stated. He further asserted, "You're either crooked or you're stupid. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they're rigged." The exchange escalated until Trump declared, "I've had enough," removed his microphone, and departed, stating, "A country can never be great with a dishonest press."
A misinterpretation of voting data in the Los Angeles mayoral race on election night has contributed to the narrative, advanced by Trump and other Republicans, that Democrats in California were engaging in electoral fraud. Specifically, a report indicated that one candidate had received zero votes in a particular update, a claim later debunked by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli on X, who confirmed that all candidates received votes in every update. Essayli has since stated that his office, in conjunction with the FBI in Los Angeles, is conducting multiple investigations into election fraud and has appealed for witnesses to provide credible information, urging against the submission of rumors or unverified accounts.
