Megyn Kelly blames NBC's Kristen Welker for Trump’s walkout from interview: 'She was rude'

WASHINGTON, DC: Megyn Kelly has voiced her support for President Donald Trump’s decision to abruptly end his 'Meet the Press' interview with NBC News’ Kristen Welker, stating, “And honestly, by the time he got up and walked away, I didn’t blame him, and I wasn’t surprised. She was rude.”

Kelly argued that the interaction became unnecessarily hostile, asserting that Welker should have de-escalated the situation rather than pushing back.

Megyn Kelly claims Kristen Welker focused on herself instead of Donald Trump

During Monday’s broadcast of 'The Megyn Kelly Show,' the host contended that Welker failed to manage the interview effectively by focusing too much on her own performance and the reputation of her network.

Kelly suggested that when interviewing a figure like Trump, journalists need to adopt a more balanced approach rather than maintaining a constant, confrontational stance.

As she noted, “The problem for Kristen Welker is she made that moment about Kristen Welker and about the vaunted reputation of NBC News. When you are interviewing the president of the United States, especially Donald Trump, you’re going to have to give him a little. You’ve got to give him something. There’s a back and forth in an interview where you can’t just keep battering him over the head at every turn.”

Megyn Kelly explains how interview could have been managed differently

Kelly further suggested that the interviewer could have navigated the rising tensions with ease by choosing not to engage with Trump's personal grievances. 

Instead of responding to his agitation with more antagonism, she proposed that a different tone might have saved the conversation. 

According to Kelly, “He’s angry with you. Don’t take the bait. You don’t have to respond to the personal attack in the moment just because he makes it. Or maybe try to be playful. Maybe try to lighten the mood because you can see he’s getting agitated. He’s got a lot on his plate. The whole thing was very antagonistic.”

Trump walks out while criticizing the integrity of the press

The walkout occurred after Welker pressed Trump on his claims regarding the 2020 election and the integrity of current California races.

Trump dismissed the line of questioning, labeling the media dishonest before deciding to end the session early.

During the heated final moments, Trump declared, “They’re crooked just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked. And ‘Meet the Press’ is crooked.”

He continued, “‘Meet the Press’ is crooked. And so is ABC and CBS and CNN. You’re a one-sided crooked network. Sorry. Let’s call it quits because I’ve had enough. Thank you, darling. Have a good time.” 

Before departing, he defended his time and reiterated his stance on the media, stating, “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 ought to straighten out your press, because you know what? A country can never be great with a dishonest press.”