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Former President Donald Trump declined to participate in a debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes. The show claimed that the Republican nominee's campaign representatives offered "shifting explanations" for the same.
Traditionally, presidential candidates in the United States discuss important issues with the show in October, ahead of the elections held in November. Both Trump and Kamala Harris had reportedly accepted the show's invitation to participate in a live debate. However, the businessman-turned-politician canceled it a week ago.
On the other hand, his campaign insisted that the debate with 60 Minutes was never officially set. His communications director, Steven Cheung, took to X to write about the matter and said that while there had been some discussions, nothing had been "locked in."
"There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented," Cheung wrote.
The scheduled interview took place on Monday, October 7, 2024, with Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz, and without the former US President.
At the beginning of the broadcast, Scott Pelley claimed that Donald Trump's campaign had initially accepted to take part in the interview. However, they backed out last week and gave "shifting explanations."
Pelley said that the Republican's campaign reps had an issue with 60 Minutes fact-checking the interview, a policy that the show implements for all stories. However, later Trump demanded an apology from the show for what happened during his interview with 60 Minutes in 2020.
The former President claimed that during the 2020 talk, correspondent Lesley Stahl said that Hunter Biden's controversial laptop came from Russia. Meanwhile, 60 Minutes noted that Stahl made no such claims. During a Milwaukee press conference on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the Republican said that he has "asked them for an apology."
"Where's my apology? They should apologize. They were wrong on everything. So I'd like to get an apology. So I've asked them for an apology," the politician said.
The MAGA leader added that Kamala Harris does not take part in interviews as she cannot handle it. He also refused to take part in a second debate with the current Vice President.
Donald Trump cut short his interview with Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes ahead of the 2020 Presidential elections
Then-President Donald Trump and the Vice President were interviewed by correspondent Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes before the 2020 presidential elections. The interview took place in the Roosevelt Room in The White House.
According to Stahl, the conversation was intended to be about various pressing issues and questions posed to the then President. However, Trump cut it short and claimed that it was "an all-too-public dust-up."
The interview transcript that Stahl shared on CBS News, showed that the Republican leader had issues with the journalist bringing in some "inappropriately brought up subjects. During the talk, Trump claimed that Stahl never asked tough questions to Joe Biden, who defeated him to become President in that year.
He also had an issue with the journalist beginning the interview by warning him about answering some "tough questions." He said that the journalist's questions were "inappropriately brought up" right from the beginning.
"They [Stahl's questions] were inappropriately brought up. Right from the beginning. No, your first question was, "This is going to be tough questions." You don't ask Joe Biden, I saw your interview with Joe, the interview, 60 Minutes," the former President said.
He added that Biden gave "softball after softball," noting that he had seen all of the current President's interviews. The politician claimed that Joe Biden had "never been asked" a difficult question.
The former president also accused Stahl of being disrespectful by asking him if he was ready for tough questions in the interview.
"Excuse me, Lesley, you started with me. Your first statement was, "Are you ready for tough questions?" That's no way to talk. That's no way to talk," the MAGA leader said.
Trump then walked out of the interview without answering any other questions. According to Lesley Stahl, they were scheduled to walk with him on the White House grounds. The former President left the interview, stating that he believed they had "enough of an interview," as he asked his team to go with him.
"I think we have enough of an interview here, Hope. Okay? That's enough. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go meet for two seconds, okay? Thanks. I'll see you in a little while. Thanks," the MAGA leader said.
Stahl noted that after Trump walked out of the interview, his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, gave her a document, claiming it was his health care plan. The interview then continued with Vice President Mike Pence.
In 2024, the MAGA leader reportedly demanded an apology from 60 Minutes for what happened during his 2020 interview with Lesley Stahl. He claimed that Stahl had said Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden's controversial laptop, came from Russia. However, Stahl's transcript of the interview does not include any such statements from herself or the then President.
Trump's campaign offered "shifting explanations" for canceling his interview with 60 minutes, claims show representatives
At the beginning of the latest 60 Minutes broadcast, representative Scott Pelley claimed Trump had declined to take part in the interview. The former president and Kamala Harris were set to be a part of the segment.
As per Pelley, the Republican's campaign had said the interview would take place at his Florida home, Mar-A-Lago, on Thursday, October 10, 2024. They also enquired if 60 Minutes could speak with the leader in Butler, Pennsylvania, as well. The show reportedly agreed to the demands.
Pelley claimed that on September 9, 2024, the former President's communications director Steven Cheung sent them a message. The message claimed that they were working in advance to see if Butlet would work logistically in "addition to the sit-down."
A few days later, Cheung reportedly confirmed that the Republican nominee said "yes." However, a week later, he backed out without any clear explanation. At first, his campaign objected to 60 Minutes fact-checking the interview, which Pelley claimed is done for every story.
Later, the former President demanded an apology for what happened during his 2020 interview with Lesley Stahl. As per Pelley, Stahl never made claims that Trump says she did. The Republican has also reportedly declined to participate in a second debate with Kamala Harris ahead of the elections next month.
