(Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump faced sharp criticism on Sunday after a tense exchange with NBC News’s Kristen Welker during an interview that ended with him walking away.
The interview, which aired earlier Sunday, saw Welker press Trump on his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged.” Trump responded by raising his voice, attacking the media and declaring the interview over before standing up and leaving.
The moment quickly drew attention online, with critics describing the exchange as “embarrassing” and questioning the president’s conduct during the interview.
Trump has previously ended interviews after being challenged on his claims. In 2020, he cut short an interview with CBS News after objecting to what he called “unfair” questions. In 2022, he also ended an Axios interview after being pressed on his false claims of election fraud.
However, the latest incident sparked renewed debate because of the intensity of Trump’s reaction before leaving the interview. The clip spread across social media, where several political figures, commentators and writers criticised his behaviour.
“This man lost his mind a long time ago,” Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) wrote in a post on X. “It’s shameful that Republicans in Congress continue to enable him in every way. He’s destroying this country and his mental decline and erratic behavior is a national security crisis.”
Tim Nichols, a staff writer with The Atlantic, called Trump “emotionally unstable,” and described the outburst as a “man [going] on [a] paranoid, babbling rant.”
Neikias Duncan, an analyst, podcast host and writer, also reacted to the clip, calling it “such an embarrassing watch.”
Writer, podcast host and reality television star Hemant Mehta used the incident to urge Republican voters to reconsider their support in November.
“His brain is broken and if you vote for any Republican at any level, this is what you’re supporting: being an a—— at every turn, no matter what anyone says, because that’s what the party is,” Mehta wrote in a post on X.
The backlash adds to a long-running debate over Trump’s media appearances and his response to questions about the 2020 election. His continued insistence that the election was stolen has repeatedly been rejected by courts, election officials and members of his own administration.
For critics, the NBC interview became another example of Trump reacting angrily when challenged on those claims. Supporters, however, have often argued that Trump is treated unfairly by mainstream media outlets.
The interview’s abrupt ending ensured the exchange remained a major political talking point, with Trump’s critics framing the moment as a sign of instability and his allies likely to view it as another clash with the press.
