In a striking segment aired during Monday’s election special, CBS’s 60 Minutes offered viewers an exclusive insight into Donald Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw from a scheduled interview, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris to tackle the spotlight alone. Scott Pelley opened the broadcast by referencing the long-standing tradition of 60 Minutes interviewing major party presidential candidates in October, which dates back over fifty years to the Nixon-Humphrey race in 1968.
This year, both Trump and Harris had accepted the invitation, but the former president canceled at the last minute. According to Pelley, the cancellation was communicated to the network shortly before the interview was set to take place at Mar-a-Lago. Plans for a secondary interview at the site of a past assassination attempt on Trump were also being discussed, but it all fell through.
Pelley detailed the erratic reasons provided by Trump’s campaign for canceling the interview. Initially, they expressed concerns about the network’s practice of fact-checking during interviews, a standard procedure for 60 Minutes. In a subsequent statement, Trump demanded an apology for comments made during a previous 2020 interview with correspondent Lesley Stahl, which he claimed inaccurately suggested Hunter Biden’s laptop linked to Russia. However, Pelley clarified that Stahl never made such a claim.
The commentary took on a sharper tone as Pelley noted Trump’s previous assertions about Harris being unable to handle interviews. Trump had also declined another debate opportunity against her, making this missed interview potentially the most significant moment for the candidates before the election.
Pelley ended with a call to action, urging viewers to watch the scathing video clip that opened the segment to gain further insight into this unfolding political drama. This episode not only created waves in the political landscape but also showcased the ongoing contention surrounding Trump’s media engagements.