WATCH IT: Trump Shreds 'Fake News' Kristen Welker, Storms Out of Interview
Washington, D.C. - June 8, 2026
President Trump Abruptly Ends Meet the Press Interview During Discussion of California Elections
President Donald Trump walked out of an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press host Kristen Welker on Sunday after a heated exchange over the slow vote-counting process in California’s recent elections. The interview, conducted in Wisconsin, covered topics including negotiations with Iran and the status of several California races that remained unresolved days after Election Day.
Interview Context and Escalation
The discussion turned contentious when the conversation shifted to California, where multiple races continued to see shifts in results as additional ballots were processed. Trump criticized the extended timeline for finalizing vote counts, describing the system as flawed and comparing it unfavorably to processes in other countries. He pointed to changes in leads in certain contests as evidence of problems with how votes are tallied and reported.
Welker responded that the counting method follows standard procedures in California. Trump expressed frustration with what he viewed as inadequate media scrutiny of the delays and vote swings. The exchange ended with Trump stating that he had had enough of the discussion.
“So let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling, have a good time.”
Trump then left the interview.
California Election Developments
Several California races, including contests in Los Angeles and state legislative districts, remained too close to call or saw leads narrow in the days following the June 2 primary. In one notable example, a candidate who held a substantial lead on election night saw that margin reduced significantly with the arrival of later ballot batches. Additional ballots are still expected in some areas.
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli has indicated that his office is examining potential irregularities in the state’s election processes. Officials have attributed the delays to standard procedures for processing mail-in and provisional ballots, while critics argue that the extended timelines undermine public confidence in the results.
Broader Reactions and Statements
Trump has long voiced concerns about election administration in certain states, including questions about 2020. During the interview, he linked the current California situation to wider issues of electoral integrity and media coverage. Welker maintained that the process reflects established state practices.
The abrupt conclusion of the interview drew immediate attention on social media and in news coverage. Supporters of the president praised his decision to end the exchange, while critics described the walkout as an overreaction to routine questioning.
The interview had also touched on U.S. efforts regarding Iran and the path toward any potential agreement to end ongoing conflict. Those portions of the discussion did not appear to trigger the same level of tension as the segment on California elections.
Implications for Public Discourse
The episode highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and segments of the national media. Trump has frequently accused major outlets of biased coverage, particularly on election-related matters. Media representatives, including Welker, have defended their role in asking pointed questions of public officials.
California election officials have stated that the current counting timeline is consistent with past practices in the state, which relies heavily on mail voting. However, the extended period before final certification has prompted renewed calls from some quarters for reforms aimed at faster and more transparent tabulation.
As additional ballots continue to be counted in California, several races remain fluid. The U.S. Attorney’s review adds another layer of scrutiny to the process. The full transcript and video of the Trump-Welker exchange are expected to be released by NBC in the coming days.
Trump Admin Says It Uncovered $10 Billion Obamacare Fraud Scheme
The Trump administration says it has uncovered what it describes as a massive fraud scheme within the Affordable Care Act.
Members of Trump’s administration allege that roughly $10 billion in taxpayer money was improperly paid out between 2021 and 2024 because of weakened enrollment safeguards under former President Joe Biden.
According to a Department of Health and Human Services report, officials have already removed nearly three million fraudulent or improper Obamacare enrollments and estimate another 2.6 million questionable enrollments remain.
Administration officials say the findings are part of a broader government-wide effort to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse across federal programs.
The report traces the alleged problems to changes made during the Biden administration that expanded enrollment opportunities while relaxing income verification and eligibility checks.
At the start of Biden’s presidency, approximately 10 million people were enrolled through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. By 2024, enrollment had surged to roughly 22 million.
Federal investigators now believe millions of those enrollments were improper, fraudulent, or created without the knowledge of the individuals involved.
“By our estimate, improper, phantom, and fraudulent enrollment peaked at 5.6 million people in 2025,” the report states.
“We estimate 2.6 million improper and phantom enrollments remain, including over 1 million enrollments without a Social Security number.”
According to the report, several different forms of abuse contributed to the alleged fraud.
Officials say some applicants intentionally understated their income to qualify for larger taxpayer-funded subsidies.
Others allegedly received premium assistance despite failing to meet eligibility requirements.
Investigators also identified what they describe as “phantom enrollments,” in which insurance brokers allegedly enrolled people in Obamacare plans without their knowledge to collect federal commissions.
The report argues that reduced verification requirements made those practices significantly easier to carry out.
Since taking office, the Trump administration says it has restored stricter income verification requirements, ended several special enrollment periods, increased screening for duplicate Medicaid enrollment, and launched investigations into brokers suspected of creating phantom policies.
Officials also say they have strengthened oversight of agents participating in the federal marketplace.
As a result of those efforts, nearly three million enrollments have already been removed from the Affordable Care Act exchanges.
Even after those removals, approximately 19.2 million people remain enrolled.
The administration says its goal is not to reduce legitimate coverage but to ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent only on individuals who actually qualify.
“Preserving the fiscal and programmatic integrity of the ACA Exchanges is key to safeguarding taxpayer-funded resources for those that truly need them,” the report states.
“The federal government paying brokers to enroll individuals without their knowledge is not.”
The report also says the administration will continue pursuing additional enforcement actions against brokers and others accused of exploiting the program.
“The Trump Administration continues to aggressively root out fraud, waste, abuse, and corruption by promulgating new regulations to improve program integrity, investigating suspected improper or fraudulent enrollment, and taking action against agents and brokers committing fraud.”
The findings are likely to reignite debate over the Affordable Care Act and how aggressively eligibility rules should be enforced.
Supporters of the administration argue the report demonstrates that stricter oversight is necessary to protect taxpayers and preserve benefits for those legally entitled to receive them.
Critics of previous verification rollbacks have long warned that loosening enrollment safeguards could increase improper payments and fraud, while supporters of the Biden-era policies argued the changes made healthcare more accessible to eligible Americans, Fox News reported exclusively.
The administration says its investigations remain ongoing, with an estimated 2.6 million additional enrollments still under review as officials continue auditing the federal health insurance exchanges.
Trump has been pushing to replace Obamacare for over a decade, and this may give Republicans enough motivation to actually do something.
