BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here

Breaking

Edit Story

CBS Says If Trump Posts ‘60 Minutes’ Interview It Would Violate White House Agreement

Following
This article is more than 3 years old.
Updated Oct 20, 2020, 08:50pm EDT

Topline

After President Trump threatened to post a ‘60 Minutes’ interview that he abruptly ended ahead of its scheduled airtime, CBS News told Forbes such a move would break an agreement the White House made in order to tape the interview.

Key Facts

A CBS News spokesperson told Forbes the White House had agreed they would tape the interview on Tuesday “for archival purposes only.”

Trump cut the interview short, CBS News anchor Norah O’Donnell confirmed Tuesday evening, with the New York Times and CNN reporting he ended it “abruptly” after 45 minutes, refusing to film a “walk-and-talk” alongside Vice President Mike Pence.

Trump posted an angry stream of tweets afterward, labeling the interview “fake,” “biased” and “electoral intrusion.”

“For the sake of accuracy in reporting I am considering posting my interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 minutes, PRIOR TO AIRTIME!” Trump tweeted of the interview, slated to run Sunday, urging people to compare it with interviews of Biden.

Trump also tweeted a video of Stahl interacting with several masked individuals, which he said was in the White House, without wearing a mask herself, but sources familiar with the interview told Forbes Stahl was interacting with CBS team members who had been tested beforehand, and that she wore a mask prior to the interview “as appropriate.”

White House aides joined in Trump’s attacks on Stahl, with assistant press secretary Karoline Leavitt accusing her of mask-shaming and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany claiming she was impressed by the size of a binder purportedly documenting Trump’s health care accomplishments.

Crucial Quote

"You have to watch what we do to '60 minutes.' You'll get such a kick out of it,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Tuesday.  “You're gonna get a kick out of it. Lesley Stahl's not gonna be happy."

Chief Critic

“I'm guessing from this tweet that Stahl asked really tough questions, like she did in her last interview, which was one of the best with Trump to date,” CBS News White House correspondent Kathryn Watson tweeted in response to Trump’s tweet mask-shaming Stahl.

Key Background

Trump is trailing Biden considerably in the polls with just two weeks left until the election, but the president has chosen to focus his fire in recent days on others. On Monday, Trump tweeted about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman and Anthony Fauci – the nation’s wildly popular top infectious disease official – without mentioning Biden.

Big Number

8.6 points. That’s the size of Biden’s lead over Trump nationally in the RealClearPolitics average. He holds similar leads in critical battleground states such as Wisconsin and Michigan, and slightly narrower leads in Pennsylvania and Arizona.

Follow me on TwitterSend me a secure tip