CBS News’ “60 Minutes” opened Monday with a detailed report from correspondent Scott Pelley on the lead-up to former President Donald Trump abandoning the usual pre-election interview with presidential candidates.
“It has been a tradition for more than half a century for the major party candidates for president to sit down with ’60 Minutes’ in October,” Pelley explained.
Trump’s campaign agreed to film an interview last Thursday at the GOP nominee’s home in Mar-a-Lago and there were also discussions about joining Trump during his weekend return to Butler, Pennsylvania, where in an attempt was made on his life in July, Pelley said.
But “a week ago, Trump withdrew,” Pelley recalls. “The campaign offered varying explanations. First, it complained that we would fact-check the interview. We fact-check every story.”
“Later, Trump said he needed an apology for his 2020 interview,” Pelley continued, referring to the “60 Minutes” session with Lesley Stahl, where Trump overcame a series of questions and eventually walked out. (Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung has claimed that the 2024 interview was never “closed.”)
“Trump has said his opponent doesn’t do interviews because she can’t handle them. He previously declined another debate with Harris, so tonight could have been the largest audience for the candidate from now until Election Day,” Pelley said.
“Both campaigns understood that this special would go ahead if either candidate withdrew,” Pelley concluded, referring to Bill Whitaker’s interview with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
In the interview with Harris, the vice president spoke about Trump’s decision not to participate. “If he doesn’t give your viewers the opportunity to have a meaningful, thoughtful conversation with you, Q&A with you, then watch his meetings,” she said.
“You’re going to hear conversations that are about himself and all his personal grievances,” Harris added. “And what you don’t hear is about you, the listener. You won’t hear how he’s going to try to bring the country together and find common ground.”