The Trump campaign is denying that it had ever formally accepted the invitation for former President Trump to sit for a “60 Minutes” interview after CBS News claimed he had backed out.
“60 Minutes is scheduled to air a primetime election special on a Monday edition of the broadcast on Oct. 7 at 8 p.m… This year, both the Harris and Trump campaigns agreed to sit down with 60 Minutes,” CBS News said in a statement released Tuesday. “Vice President Harris will speak with correspondent Bill Whitaker. After initially accepting 60 Minutes’ request for an interview with Scott Pelley, former President Trump’s campaign has decided not to participate. Pelley will address this Monday evening.”
But according to Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, that was “fake news.”
“60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020,” Cheung wrote on X. “There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in.”
CBS NEWS CASTS LONG SHADOW OF ANTI-TRUMP BIAS AHEAD OF ITS VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Cheung was alluding to the testy exchange Trump had with veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl, who dismissed the Hunter Biden laptop scandal during their interview just days before the 2020 election.
CBS TARRED AND FEATHERED FOR ADMITTING EXISTENCE OF HUNTER BIDEN’S LAPTOP TWO YEARS AFTER NEW YORK POST REPORT
At the time, Trump insisted that then-candidate Joe Biden was “in the midst of a scandal.”
“He’s not,” Stahl gleefully replied.
“Of course he is, Lesley,” Trump sternly doubled down.
“No, c’mon,” Stahl continued to reject the president’s claim, before lecturing him, “This is ’60 Minutes’ and we can’t put on things that we can’t verify.”
CBS News eventually went on and verified the infamous laptop in 2022.
CBS News stated that its election special will air Monday as planned, featuring only the Harris interview.
“Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands,” CBS News added.
CBS’ ‘60 MINUTES’ ACCUSED OF EDITING EXCHANGE BETWEEN DESANTIS, REPORTER PUSHING ‘PAY FOR PLAY’ NARRATIVE
The network’s announcement comes just hours before it is set to host the vice-presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
The “60 Minutes” special will mark Harris’ third interview with a national news organization following her sit-down last week with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle and the one she did with CNN’s Dana Bash alongside Walz.
Read the full article here
