Prateek Tanmay
US President Donald Trump cut short an interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker after a tense exchange over his claims of voter fraud in California’s primary elections.
The interview, recorded during Trump’s visit to Wisconsin, ended abruptly when the president objected to the line of questioning.
‘Let’s call it quits’
During the discussion on alleged election irregularities, Trump repeated his claim that the system was unfair. When pressed for evidence, he lashed out at the interviewer.
“The elections are like a Third World country,” Trump said. “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid.
.@POTUS bodies @kwelkernbc on California’s pathetic excuse for an election system:
“Do you think it’s appropriate that they have an election and five days later they’re nowhere close to picking a winner!? They’re crooked — just like you’re crooked.” pic.twitter.com/a4gwNUm7gC
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 7, 2026
Let’s call it quits. Because I’ve had enough.” He then ended the interview, adding: “Thank you, darling,” before walking off.
‘Rigged elections’ claim repeated
Trump has continued to allege that the California primary process is being manipulated, even as vote counts shift due to late-arriving mail ballots.
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At a separate event in Wisconsin, he said: “You look at what’s happening, it’s getting tighter and tighter… the people who were supposed to win, bad things are happening. It’s a crooked state.”
Trump CRUSHES NBC microphone with his foot mid-exit pic.twitter.com/vACEtth7JL
— RT (@RT_com) June 7, 2026
There has been no evidence presented to support claims of widespread fraud.
Counting process under scrutiny
The report noted that late counting of mail-in ballots is common in California, where many Democratic voters tend to vote by post. This often leads to early leads for Republican candidates narrowing over time.
Trump, however, has argued that such changes indicate wrongdoing.
Trump said the US Department of Justice would look into the California vote count. This is not the first time federal authorities have taken interest in elections in the state.
In 2025, officials were sent to monitor polling stations during a special election related to congressional district maps.
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Calls to change voting rules
Republican candidate Steve Hilton, backed by Trump, has called for changes to California’s voting system. He has proposed limiting mail ballots to voters who request them and setting a strict deadline for ballot submission.
Under current rules, ballots postmarked by election day can be counted if they arrive within a week.
Background
Because of the state’s voting patterns, early results often favour Republican candidates, with later counts shifting towards Democrats. This has been a recurring feature of California elections.
