President Donald Trump abruptly ended an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press" and walked away after moderator Kristen Welker challenged him about unsubstantiated claims of "cheating" in the California primary elections.

The dustup between Trump and Welker arrived during a rain-heavy sit down, full of weather-related interruptions, amid the president's pre-midterms visit to Wisconsin, a crucial swing state for both parties that he won in 2024.

After Welker noted that "Republicans are doing well in California" following the June 2 primary contests, Trump said "they're dropping fast because it's a rigged election," which led to a tense back-and-forth in the interview that aired June 7.

Republicans have criticized the dayslong, ongoing counting process in California's primary races.

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, a conservative, and Trump-endorsed gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton are both in second place standings in their respective contests, but Democratic foes have gained ground. California has what's known as "jungle primaries," in which all candidates regardless of party compete against each other, and the top two hopefuls advance to the general election.

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As Welker and Trump discussed the California races, including the vote-tallying process, Welker noted "that's how they count the votes in California." Trump responded, asking, "Do you know why they're doing that? Because they're cheating on the election."

Welker then asked Trump if he had evidence to support his claims, and the president responded that "all I have to do is look" and "I listen to people." The NBC anchor again asked for evidence of election fraud and repeated that the typical dayslong process is "how they count the votes in California."

Trump then questioned if it's appropriate to count votes five days after Election Day, and Welker said California officials are urging a quick vote count but have pointed out that the process is slow.

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Trump told Welker that "they're crooked just like you're crooked, your press is crooked and 'Meet the Press' is crooked." Welker denied the accusations, and Trump said her questions played into "their hands."

Welker urged Trump to continue the interview as he called her "either stupid or crooked." The president also criticized other news outlets, including ABC, CBS and CNN.

Trump then looked to end the interview, appearing to remove his microphone to throw it.

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"Sorry. Let's call it quits because I've had enough," Trump said. "Thank you, darling. Have a good time."

When Welker told Trump she traveled to Wisconsin for the interview, as "MTP" is typically filmed on set in Washington, he responded that "I sat in the rain with you for an hour." As Welker tried to continue the conversation, Trump said he sat "on and off in the rain, and I've given you enough time. You ought to straighten out your press."

The interview ended, and Welker said from the show's Washington studio that she spoke with Trump on June 6 and they both noted the weather complications. The "MTP" host also revealed that Trump agreed to speak with her for another interview.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump walks off 'Meet the Press' interview