Trump Abruptly Ends Meet the Press, Defends Jan. 6 Fund
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- Trump abruptly ended his "Meet the Press" interview with Kristen Welker on Sunday after calling NBC a "one-sided crooked network" when pressed for evidence supporting his election fraud claims.
- Trump defended a proposed nearly $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund to compensate Jan. 6 defendants on a case-by-case basis — even after his administration said it had dropped the plan amid bipartisan pushback.
- Trump said many Jan. 6 defendants "should be compensated," initially disavowing payments to those who attacked police, then railing: "You had a lot of crooked cops. You had dirty cops. Comey was a dirty cop."
- Trump set an ambiguous red line on Iran, saying he would restart military strikes if a nuclear deal isn't happening "fast enough," and warned: "we're going to take them out militarily very harshly."
- Trump said he "didn't promise anything" about his no-new-wars campaign pledge, arguing the Iran operation differs from Vietnam and Iraq because it has lasted only months, with 50,000 U.S. troops currently in place.
- Trump praised Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's "certain bravery" for staying involved in nuclear talks while seriously injured, calling the younger Khamenei "more rational" than his late father.
- Trump dismissed farmers' struggles with fertilizer costs, saying "the farmers are doing very well" and trusting him on higher gas and fertilizer prices tied to his Iran policy.
Why it matters: Trump put himself on record on two fights that will dominate his week: defending a nearly $1.8 billion Jan. 6 compensation fund that already drew bipartisan pushback, and setting an ambiguous Iran timeline that could justify renewed strikes with 50,000 U.S. troops already deployed. His walkout signals comfort escalating media confrontations over evidence demands.
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