WHITE HOUSE
Trump ends ’60 Minutes’ interview, attacks Lesley
Stahl on Twitter
The president, reportedly frustrated by the line of
questioning, said he was considering posting the interview before airtime “for
the sake of accuracy in reporting.”
By MERIDITH
MCGRAW
10/20/2020
06:42 PM EDT
Updated:
10/20/2020 08:42 PM EDT
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/20/trump-ends-60-minutes-interview-430466
At the
White House on Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump ended a fiery
interview taping with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” proceeded to launch an attack
against the interviewer on Twitter for not wearing a mask, and threatened to
post the interview before it aired.
The drama
unfolded after Trump was frustrated with the line of questioning and how the
interview was being conducted, said one person familiar with the episode, while
another in the room described the president as “pissed.”
The
president spent more than 40 minutes with CBS News correspondent Lesley Stahl,
and did not proceed to shoot a second portion of the interview that included
Vice President Mike Pence. Following a short break, the president decided he
had spent enough time in the interview, one White House official said. Pence
went on to spend 15 minutes with Stahl and the “60 Minutes” crew.
After the
interview, the president tweeted a video of Stahl speaking to producers inside
the White House without a mask accompanied by the message: “Lesley Stahl of 60
Minutes not wearing a mask in the White House after her interview with me. Much
more to come.”
“This is
moments after she criticized me for not wearing a mask while working at my
desk,” tweeted assistant White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Rules
for thee but not for me, Lesley?”
Both Stahl
and Trump were hospitalized with the coronavirus, and Leavitt was one of the press
staff who contracted the virus in early October.
Another
person familiar with the interview said of the video clip: “This image is from
immediately following the interview with the CBS team, who had all been tested.
Lesley had a mask on leading into the interviews, as appropriate.”
On Tuesday
evening, just before leaving the White House for a campaign rally in
Pennsylvania, the president implied that the “60 Minutes” broadcast would not
reflect what actually happened in the interview.
“I am
pleased to inform you that, for the sake of accuracy in reporting, I am
considering posting my interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, PRIOR TO
AIRTIME!” Trump wrote on Twitter. “This will be done so that everybody can get
a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about…”
A CBS representative
later said that White House had agreed it was taping the interview for archival
purposes only.
At his
rally in Erie, Pa., on Tuesday night, the president said: “You have to watch
what we do to ’60 Minutes.’ You’ll get such a kick out of it. You’re going to
get a kick out of it. Leslie Stahl’s not going to be happy.”
The
president also taped a town hall in the Rose Garden on Tuesday with former Fox
News host Eric Bolling that is airing on the Sinclair Broadcasting Network.
CBS News
did not respond to a request for comment on the interview’s abrupt conclusion,
which was first reported by CNN.
“60
Minutes” plans to broadcast the interview on Sunday night in a special that
will also feature Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
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