Trump calls PBS reporter 'rotten' after she cites his own former AG Barr's fraud findings

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump had a tense exchange with a reporter on Wednesday, March 11, after being pressed about statements made by his former Attorney General William Barr regarding allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

The exchange occurred as the president spoke with members of the press outside the White House.

During the interaction, a reporter raised questions about recent developments involving federal investigators and election-related records tied to the 2020 vote.

Trump reiterated his long-standing belief that the election had been “rigged,” while also pushing back against the line of questioning. 

Trump disparages reporter Liz Landers

The exchange began when Liz Landers of PBS News asked the president about reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had issued a grand jury subpoena for election records in Arizona as part of an inquiry connected to the 2020 election.

Landers noted that federal authorities had also recently seized records in Georgia tied to the same election cycle.

“Sir, in Arizona, why did the FBI seize election records in that state?” the reporter asked. Trump responded by suggesting that investigators may have had concerns about the integrity of the election.

“Well, they probably thought the election was rigged, right?” Trump replied. Landers then referenced statements previously made by Trump’s former Attorney General William Barr, who served in the administration during the 2020 election.

Barr said publicly in late 2020 that the Justice Department had not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have been sufficient to change the outcome of the election.

During the exchange on Wednesday, Landers raised that assessment. “It wasn’t rigged, though,” she told the president, referencing Barr’s earlier conclusion.

Trump responded by questioning how the reporter could be certain. “Oh, really? Who, how do you know?” he asked.

Landers reiterated that Barr had said there was no measurable voter fraud that could have altered the results.

“Your own attorney general in 2020 said that there was no measurable voter fraud to change the outcome of the election,” she said.

Trump maintained his position. "You don’t think it was rigged? I think it was rigged!" he said.

When the reporter followed up by asking where the evidence for that claim could be found, the president criticized the line of questioning. 

“If you think it wasn’t rigged, you’re a rotten reporter!” Trump said before moving on.

Trump and William Barr’s relationship after 2020

Trump had previously spoken favorably about investigations related to election records in Arizona.

In posts on Truth Social, the president had described news of the inquiry as “great,” signaling support for further examination of the election process.

The issue of the 2020 election remains a recurring point of discussion for Trump, who repeatedly argued that irregularities occurred during the vote.

The latest exchange also reflected the complicated relationship between Trump and Barr following the 2020 election.

Barr publicly stated after the election that the Justice Department had not identified fraud on a scale that would have changed the outcome.

In a 2022 interview with NBC News, Barr said that he had personally told Trump that some of the claims circulating about widespread election fraud were unfounded.

Despite their disagreements, Barr later endorsed Trump during the 2024 presidential race.

Trump acknowledged the endorsement on Truth Social but also criticized Barr for what he described as failing to properly investigate election-related concerns at the time.