US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he arrives to attend the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, US, September 22, 2026. REUTERS/DAVID DEE DELGADO
A Republican caller blasted President Donald Trump on live television as "one of the crookedest presidents we ever have" just moments before his address to the United Nations General Assembly.
The caller reached C-SPAN's Washington Journal from Miami on the program's Republican line Tuesday morning, and host Pedro Echevarria identified him only by his first name.
The show was taking viewer calls to fill airtime ahead of Trump's speech to the General Assembly.
Trump delivered that speech later Tuesday morning in New York, where he defended his decision to go to war with Iran, NBC News reported.
"I'm a Republican. The lady [who] just called said we have the best president we ever had," the caller said. "I think that lady, she's dreaming, because it's not the best president we have."
"He's one of the crookedest presidents we ever have," the caller continued. "All his family is taking the money. He's not helping the poor people."
"He cut down the school's food. That's a shame," he said. "This country, we're supposed to help the people, not to hurt the people. And I'm a Republican, a registered Republican."
Trump's 2025 tax and spending law made the largest cuts ever to the federal food stamp program, according to the Center for American Progress. Enrollment in that program helps decide which children automatically qualify for free school meals, and families with two children could pay about $1,900 more a year, the group found.
"Okay," Echevarria said on the broadcast.
"That's all I have to say," the caller replied.