Donald Trump‘s decision to not participate in CBS’ 60 Minutes interview ahead of the 2024 election has become a major point of political debate. His sudden reversal, after initially agreeing to the interview, as per CBS, sparked discussions about media relations and accountability.
Here’s a closer look at why Trump backed out and the impact of his decision on the election narrative.
Why isn’t Donald Trump appearing on ’60 Minutes’?
Donald Trump is not appearing on 60 Minutes despite initially agreeing to an interview with correspondent Scott Pelley for a special election edition of the program, as per CBS News.
His campaign later withdrew, citing concerns over CBS’ demand for live fact-checking during the interview, which the campaign deemed “unprecedented.” CBS plans to address Trump’s absence on the show. This development seems to be consistent with Trump’s contentious relationship with mainstream media.
In the past, Donald Trump has walked out of interviews or cut them short when frustrated by the questioning, as seen in his 2020 interview with 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl. Trump later released an unedited version of that interview on social media, which CBS said violated an agreement.
Trump’s campaign has disputed CBS’ claims about withdrawing from the interview. A spokesperson stated that discussions about the interview were preliminary and that nothing was officially “scheduled or locked in.”
Despite this, CBS confirmed that the special will proceed on October 7. Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to be interviewed by Bill Whitaker. The network has kept its invitation open should Trump reconsider. This underscores the program’s tradition of interviewing both major-party candidates before elections.
This 60 Minutes special is one of the last major media opportunities for the candidates before the November 5 election and with no more presidential debates scheduled as of now, Donald Trump’s withdrawal may limit his televised appearances.
Meanwhile, Kamala Harris continues to engage with mainstream media despite her few TV interviews. Both candidates have also agreed to separate Univision town halls focused on Hispanic voters in the coming week.
