Donald Trump speaks throughout a marketing campaign occasion on Tuesday.
Jim Watson/AFP by way of Getty Photos
cover caption
toggle caption
Jim Watson/AFP by way of Getty Photos
This story first appeared within the NPR Community’s reside weblog of the 2024 vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz. For the newest on the marketing campaign, head to NPR’s Elections web page.
The CBS information program 60 Minutes introduced on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump has backed out of an interview he had agreed to do as a part of its prime-time election particular subsequent week.
“For over half a century, 60 Minutes has invited the Democratic and Republican tickets to appear on our broadcast as Americans head to the polls,” the newsmagazine posted on X. “This year, both the Harris and Trump campaigns agreed to sit down with 60 Minutes.”
It went on to say that “after initially accepting 60 Minutes‘ request for an interview” with Scott Pelley, Trump’s marketing campaign “has decided not to participate.”
The election particular will air Monday at 8 p.m. ET as deliberate, and embody Vice President Harris’ interview with correspondent Invoice Whitaker.
“Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands,” the assertion added.
Trump marketing campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung responded shortly after on X, calling this system’s model of occasions “fake news.”
He stated the present “begged for an interview,” and regardless of preliminary discussions, “nothing was ever scheduled or locked in.”
“They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented,” Cheung added.
Trump has run into hassle with 60 Minutes earlier than, notably chopping brief a 2020 interview with correspondent Lesley Stahl — and backing out of a second that had been beforehand scheduled — after turning into visibly pissed off together with her “tough” line of questioning concerning the COVID-19 pandemic and different matters.
The Harris marketing campaign was fast to criticize Trump on Tuesday evening. Senior adviser David Plouffe posted on X that the previous president is “afraid” of the talk stage and of 60 Minutes.
“And his campaign team — after the last three days of increasingly unhinged and unstable ranting at his rallies — is clearly afraid of exposing him beyond comfortable confines,” he wrote.
He seemed to be referencing Trump’s more and more threatening and insulting rhetoric at rallies over the weekend, during which he described Harris as “mentally impaired” and stated police needs to be allowed to be “real rough” on criminals for one hour to ship a message.
The prime-time particular would have been considered one of voters’ closing possibilities to see Trump and Harris side-by-side earlier than Election Day. Whereas the Harris marketing campaign has known as for a second debate, Trump’s group has not agreed to at least one.
Tuesday evening’s debate between vice presidential candidates Tim Walz and JD Vance is the final one on the schedule.
