Former President Donald Trump has publicly addressed his decision to withdraw from a scheduled interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” stating that he wanted the show’s producers to apologize to him first. Initially, Trump had accepted an invitation to participate in the program, which is set to air on October 7 and was intended to feature both Trump and his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. However, his campaign announced on October 1 that he would not be participating.
In a statement, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung labeled CBS’s claims about the interview as “fake news,” asserting that while discussions took place, nothing was ever formally agreed upon. He criticized the network for previously “lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020” and mentioned that CBS insisted on conducting live fact-checking during the interview, which he deemed unprecedented.
The decision to withdraw has raised eyebrows, particularly given Trump’s contentious history with “60 Minutes.” In a previous interview during the 2020 election cycle, Trump left abruptly after a heated exchange with correspondent Lesley Stahl, who pressed him on various issues including COVID-19 and his administration’s handling of the pandemic. That encounter ended with Trump claiming he had given enough time to the interview, leading to significant media coverage and public scrutiny.
CBS News confirmed that its invitation for Trump to appear remains open and that correspondent Scott Pelley will address his absence during the upcoming broadcast. Meanwhile, Vice President Harris is still set to be interviewed by Bill Whitaker, marking her third national news appearance since the start of the campaign season.
