U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the “American Agriculture” conference at Custer Farms in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, on June 5, 2026.
Saul Loebe | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump stormed out of a taped interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” after being pressed about his controversial “weapons” fund and evidence of his ongoing claims of election fraud.
Trump sat down with NBC’s Kristen Welker for a taped interview at a Wisconsin ranch about the Iran war, possible interest rate hikes, and a $1.776 billion bailout fund for violent rebels convicted of attacking police in Jan. 6, 2021. Thousands of people dispersed the former President at the Capitol when he tried to attack Joe. Biden’s 2020 election victory.
The President said that he would like to see the weapons fund continue despite the problems that caused Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to say that it should be stopped indefinitely.
“If it were up to me, I would pay them what they deserve,” Trump said of the fund. “People have been destroyed. People’s lives have been destroyed. Many are killing themselves, think about it.” Many times the president has said such words without providing evidence.
The fund was created after a deal in which Trump dropped his $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over leaks of his 2019 and 2020 tax returns, in exchange for a so-called armory fund, aimed at compensating people he says are victims of “the law.”
“I think the weapon bag is a good idea,” he said. “If they get it approved, great; if they don’t, I’d be disappointed.”
The settlement also places Trump, members of his family, and related business entities permanently immune from tax audits and enforcement actions regarding tax returns filed before the out-of-court settlement.
But it’s the armory that has caused the most noise. The fund quickly became a lightning rod on Capitol Hill, with many Republicans storming the White House and opposing the fund. The fund was blocked in court last month.
Trump has suggested that the January 6 riots were brought into the Capitol by the FBI, a claim for which he has offered no evidence and has been strongly contradicted by a video of protesters beating Capitol police who were trying to secure the building.
Pro-Trump protesters storm the US Capitol while clashing with police, during a rally against the approval of the results of the 2020 US presidential election by the US Congress, in Washington, US, January 6, 2021.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Pressed by NBC for evidence on those claims, Trump switched to claims of election fraud, which he has long made but has been unable to prove in a court of law.
“The election was rigged, it was a dirty election and it’s happening right now in California,” he said, referring to the state’s mayoral and gubernatorial primaries, where votes are still being counted.
California sends every registered voter a mail-in ballot and accepts mail-marked ballots on or before election day for up to a week. That often leads to a slow vote count. Republicans have long been accused of wrongdoing, as Democratic votes often outnumber GOP opponents after late ballots are counted.
“They rigged the election,” Trump said. Pressed for evidence, Trump argued that “all I have to do is watch … and listen to people and let’s see what happens.”
“Do you think it’s appropriate for them to have an election and then five days later, come close to choosing a winner?” he said. “They’re hooked, as you’re bent, your press is bent and ‘Meet the Press’ is bent.”
Welker tried to press Trump for evidence to back up his claims, which he did not provide, and redirected Trump to a question about acting AG Blanche several times before the president pulled the plug on the interview and walked off the set.
“Let’s stop because that’s enough, thank you dear, have a good time,” said the president, pinching his lapel as he left.
