Donald Trump’s campaign made headlines this week after abruptly backing out of a scheduled interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.” The interview, intended to be a key component of the network’s upcoming election special, was set to feature both the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her spot, but Trump’s team decided not to participate.
The CBS news program released a statement saying that for over 50 years, “60 Minutes” has extended interview invitations to both major party candidates during election season. Although the Trump campaign initially agreed to an interview with correspondent Scott Pelley, they later reversed their decision. The network added that their original invitation to former President Donald Trump to appear on “60 Minutes” remains open and noted that after initially agreeing to the interview, the Trump campaign decided not to proceed.
The decision has sparked a wave of reactions from both sides. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung disputed CBS’ account, stating, “They begged for an interview, and despite initial discussions, nothing was ever scheduled or locked in.” He also noted that the network insisted on live fact-checking during the interview, something Cheung claimed was “unprecedented” and contributed to the decision to back out.
The Trump campaign has had previous tense moments with the news program. In 2020, Trump cut short an interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl after becoming frustrated with the questions. The then-president also backed out of a second interview scheduled for the same period, citing his dissatisfaction with the “tough” line of questioning.
The Harris campaign wasted no time responding to the news. Senior adviser David Plouffe took to “X” to criticize Trump, saying the former president is scared of facing both the debate stage and “60 Minutes.” Plouffe also pointed out that Trump’s recent behavior at rallies, where he made inflammatory comments about Harris, only added to the impression that he was avoiding tough situations.
This development is significant as the upcoming election special, set to air Monday, October 7, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET, is one of the final opportunities for voters to see both candidates in a major broadcast setting. Trump’s withdrawal has left only Harris scheduled for an interview, with the prime-time broadcast featuring her conversation with correspondent Bill Whitaker. While Trump’s campaign has not completely ruled out future appearances, they have also not agreed to a second debate, despite calls from the Harris campaign for another matchup.
The dispute over fact-checking has been a central point of contention. Cheung reiterated that CBS’ insistence on live fact-checking was a dealbreaker for the Trump campaign. Sources with knowledge of the planned interview revealed that it was set to occur at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and later continue at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. CBS has not commented on these details.
Despite the setback, CBS has confirmed that the election special will proceed as planned, focusing on Harris’ interview and her campaign trail activities. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, is also expected to appear.
