On Friday, June 5, President Donald Trump, 79, sat down for a face-to-face conversation in Wisconsin for NBC’s Meet the Press with journalist Kristen Welker.
The interaction was cut short as the POTUS abruptly walked out of the interview at around the 40-minute mark, despite Welker pleading with him to stay.
A gesture Trump made while getting up from the chair caught netizens’ attention online, and many speculated whether it was connected to his allegedly declining health.
Highlights
- US President Donald Trump walked out of an interview after a conversation about the California governor’s race turned heated.
- A video of Trump’s exit raised concerns about the president’s health among netizens.
- The speculations come days after the White House’s medical report on Trump’s health raised suspicion about transparency.
“He did that to get his bearings,” one user commented.
Donald Trump called a female journalist “crooked” over the California governor’s race debate
Image credits: NBC
The interview with Kristen Welker, which aired on NBC News on Sunday, June 7, saw Donald Trump discuss the economy, the conflict with Iran, and the California gubernatorial race, among other topics.
It was the last subject that led to an outburst from the president and his eventual exit from the interview.
At one point in the interview, while addressing the proposed $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund aimed to pay individuals allegedly wronged by past administrations, Trump brought up the 2020 election, in which Joe Biden was elected the 46th President of the United States.
Image credits: NBC
“The election was rigged. It was a dirty election,” Trump said. “It’s happening right now in California,” he added, referring to the gubernatorial race that will take place on November 3, 2026. “It’s four days, and they aren’t even close to counting [ballots].”
Welker pointed out that it was standard procedure for California’s election process.
Reports on June 5 claimed that Democratic candidate and former Biden health secretary Xavier Becerra had advanced to the General Election with 27.2% of the vote, with Republican candidate Steve Hilton close behind in second place.
Image credits: The White House
“They’re crooked, just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And Meet the Press is crooked,” Trump insisted. “You’re either crooked or you’re stupid. You play right into their hands with this cr*p. You know that these elections are rigged. Your network knows that they’re rigged.”
When Welker kept asking for evidence, Trump continued to call the network “crooked” and eventually pulled off his microphone: “Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.”
Donald Trump’s interview exit made netizens worried about his health
Image credits: NBC
Welker requested Trump to continue the interview, reminding him that she had traveled to Wisconsin for it, to which the president said, “I’ve sat in the rain with you for an hour. On and off in the rain, and I’ve given you enough time. You oughta straighten out your press.”
As Trump got up from his chair, so did Welker, and he briefly touched her shoulder with his right hand before walking off the camera.
Welker later said during the broadcast of the interview that President Trump “acknowledged the complications during the interview posed by the rain,” and that he had agreed to sit down for another Meet the Press episode with her.
Image credits: FindXSnowflakes
One user praised Trump’s gesture on social media, applauding him for “consoling” Welker despite their disagreements. However, many others thought that the POTUS held on to the journalist for support because he had difficulty standing up from the chair.
“This isn’t a ‘pure heart’ moment, it’s an old man steadying himself so he doesn’t topple over after storming out mid-interview,” one user said. Another wrote, “He couldn’t stand up!”
“He could barely get up and walk,” wrote a third. A fourth voice said, “I think he put his hand on his shoulder because he couldn't get to his feet on his own.”
Image credits: Getty/Bloomberg
“He was clearly starting to stumble, and he grabbed her to stabilize himself,” commented one more.
These speculations arise amid existing concerns over Donald Trump’s mental and physical acumen, and whether, as the oldest-ever person to get elected to the Oval Office, he is fit enough to preside over the United States.
The White House’s latest health report on Donald Trump raised suspicion about transparency
In recent years, critics have pointed to Donald Trump’s verbal gaffes during speeches, moments of confusion over names, dates, or locations, occasional stumbles while walking, and instances in which he seemed to lose his train of thought, leading to arguments about his cognitive and physical fitness.
Dr. Henry David Abraham, a professor of psychiatry, said in May 2026 that Trump’s “linguistic failings” and “poor impulse control” were “red flags” and possible signs of dementia: “This is not normal. This is dangerous. And worse, this is a man who has access to nuclear weapons.”
Image credits: MichaelCressw14
Image credits: Getty/Bloomberg
Clinical psychiatrists and psychologists, including his own niece, Mary L. Trump, have floated the possibility of him having multiple mental health issues, including narcissistic personality disorder. Physically, observers have also noted bruising on his hands, swelling in his lower legs, and occasional gait stiffness.
After Trump was seen sitting with his eyes closed for extended periods during a June 4 Oval Office press briefing, Adam James, a physical therapist with 14 years of professional experience, claimed that he may have suffered a stroke on national television.
Image credits: 1TrophyWifeHer
Image credits: X/TheMaineWonk
On May 29, the White House released a three-page health report after Trump underwent a full medical checkup at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, three days earlier.
The report, written by Trump’s current physician, Capt. Sean P. Barbabella, claimed that Trump’s blood work and cognitive assessment tests showed no anomalies.
The bruising on the back of Trump’s hands was labeled as “minor soft tissue irritation related to frequent handshaking”. It was called a “benign effect” of aspirin, which he takes for cardiovascular prevention.
Image credits: Getty/Samuel Corum
The report also listed rosuvastatin and ezetimibe under his current medications, both for cholesterol control, but left out finasteride, an anti-hair loss pill that he used to take during his first term in office, according to his late personal physician Harold Bornstein’s 2016 statement.
The White House's refusal to reveal details about the alopecia medication made some medical experts suspicious about an alleged lack of transparency, especially since it has been linked to a potential marker of prostate cancer.
“It raises significant questions of what else is possibly not being revealed,” said Robert Klitzman, a psychiatrist leading Columbia University’s bioethics master’s program, and this was supported by bioethics researchers Arthur Caplan and Steve Joffe.
"So unprofessional." Netizens weighed in after US President Donald Trump stormed out of an interview
