Trump Backs Out of “60 Minutes” Interview, Gives Mixed Reasons \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ The Trump campaign backed out of a “60 Minutes” interview special, providing conflicting explanations for the decision. CBS News reported that Trump’s team raised concerns about fact-checking and demanded an apology for a 2020 interview incident involving Hunter Biden’s laptop. In place of the interview, CBS aired a segment on election fraud while Kamala Harris participated as planned. Meanwhile, Trump appeared in an exclusive interview with Fox News instead. Viewership for “60 Minutes” was lower than usual, with only 5.4 million viewers, compared to its typical audience of 9.6 million.
Trump Skips “60 Minutes” Special: Quick Looks
- Trump’s campaign backed out of the “60 Minutes” candidate interview, citing concerns over fact-checking and demanding an apology for a 2020 interview regarding Hunter Biden.
- CBS aired a story on election fraud in Arizona in place of Trump’s interview, while Harris appeared in her scheduled segment.
- Fox News aired Trump’s exclusive interview with Laura Ingraham, which reportedly aired just before “60 Minutes”, though Trump’s CBS absence wasn’t mentioned.
- “60 Minutes” saw a drop in viewership, garnering only 5.4 million viewers due to its Monday time slot, compared to 9.6 million the previous Sunday.
Deep Look:
On Monday night, CBS News aired its traditional “60 Minutes” special featuring interviews with presidential candidates—but this time, Donald Trump was noticeably absent. The Trump campaign, which had initially agreed to participate, backed out at the last minute, offering several conflicting explanations for their decision.
Scott Pelley, a veteran correspondent for “60 Minutes”, addressed the audience directly, explaining why Trump was missing from the broadcast. According to Pelley, the Trump campaign objected to the network’s plan to fact-check the interview. Pelley emphasized that CBS News routinely fact-checks all of its stories, including candidate interviews, as part of its journalistic standards.
“The Trump campaign complained that we would fact-check the interview. We fact-check every story,” Pelley stated during the broadcast. He also mentioned that Trump’s team had demanded an apology for a 2020 interview conducted by correspondent Lesley Stahl, in which Trump accused Stahl of claiming that Hunter Biden’s laptop originated from Russia. Pelley clarified that Stahl never made such a claim.
Despite Trump’s absence, the show proceeded with Kamala Harris being interviewed by Bill Whitaker. Meanwhile, CBS replaced Trump’s interview slot with a segment on election fraud in Arizona, focusing on a local official spreading false claims about the integrity of the 2020 election.
Conflicting Explanations from the Trump Campaign
The Trump campaign’s decision to back out of the “60 Minutes” interview came as a surprise to many, as it has become a long-standing tradition for presidential candidates to participate in back-to-back interviews with the popular news program during the final weeks of a campaign.
Initially, Trump’s team had agreed to the interview, which was scheduled to take place at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate, followed by another interview in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump had recently returned after surviving a July assassination attempt.
However, just days before the scheduled air date, the Trump campaign pulled out, offering a series of conflicting reasons. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, claimed that CBS had “begged for an interview” but that the campaign had serious concerns over the network’s handling of the interview, particularly regarding the Hunter Biden laptop story.
Cheung also alleged that CBS insisted on editing Trump’s remarks in a way that was unfavorable to the former president. In addition, Cheung mentioned that the Trump campaign had already committed to an exclusive interview with Fox News, specifically with Laura Ingraham, and did not want to jeopardize that agreement.
“There was nothing scheduled or agreed upon,” Cheung said in a statement. “We had already long promised an exclusive in filming at Butler to another national outlet, which turned out to be Fox News.”
Fox News Takes the Exclusive, Trump Criticizes Harris Interview
Trump’s decision to appear on Fox News instead of “60 Minutes” was part of a broader media strategy focused on conservative outlets. His interview with Laura Ingraham aired just an hour before the “60 Minutes” special, effectively giving Trump an exclusive platform on a network that consistently draws a loyal conservative audience.
Although Trump’s absence from CBS was not directly mentioned during his interview with Ingraham, Trump took to Truth Social shortly after the “60 Minutes” episode aired, criticizing the interview with Harris. He described Harris’s performance as the “WORST interview they have ever seen,” referencing feedback from those who had reviewed the broadcast.
Trump’s criticisms of Harris were accompanied by his usual disdain for media outlets like CBS, which he has often accused of bias and unfair coverage. His campaign’s decision to avoid the “60 Minutes” interview further signals his strategic pivot towards Fox News and other conservative platforms where he feels his message will be better received.
Audience Numbers Reflect Impact of Scheduling Change
The decision to air “60 Minutes” on a Monday night instead of its traditional Sunday time slot appeared to have affected the show’s viewership. Preliminary Nielsen ratings indicated that 5.4 million people tuned in to watch the special, a significant drop compared to the 9.6 million viewers who watched the previous Sunday.
The viewership drop may also be attributed to Trump’s absence, as the former president often draws large audiences when featured on major networks. Pelley noted during the broadcast that Trump’s decision to skip the interview and a potential debate with Kamala Harris may have been a missed opportunity, especially given that “60 Minutes” could have provided the largest audience for the candidates between now and election day.
While specific audience numbers for Trump’s interview with Laura Ingraham were not immediately available, Nielsen reported that Ingraham’s show averaged 2.7 million viewers per night during the previous week. However, the lack of crossover between Fox News and “60 Minutes” audiences suggests that Trump’s decision to forgo a more traditional media outlet in favor of conservative programming may limit his reach beyond his base.
Media Strategy and Election Implications
The Trump campaign’s decision to avoid “60 Minutes” is indicative of the former president’s broader strategy to align more closely with media outlets that cater to his base. Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN have become preferred platforms for Trump, as he believes they provide more favorable coverage compared to mainstream outlets like CBS.
However, this strategy could come at a cost. By focusing exclusively on conservative-leaning media, Trump risks missing the opportunity to engage with undecided or moderate voters who may be tuning in to more traditional outlets. As the election nears, media exposure will play a critical role in shaping voter perceptions, and Trump’s avoidance of high-profile interviews like “60 Minutes” could limit his ability to sway key voting blocs.
For CBS, the episode served as a reminder of the challenges mainstream media faces in securing interviews with candidates who feel they may be unfairly treated. As Pelley noted, “60 Minutes” has a long tradition of conducting tough but fair interviews, with both fact-checking and journalistic integrity at the forefront of its reporting. The Trump campaign’s concerns about these practices reflect the broader tension between the former president and outlets that he perceives as adversarial.
Looking ahead, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s reliance on Fox News and similar outlets will pay off in terms of voter turnout. While his base remains highly engaged, the absence of interviews on mainstream platforms like “60 Minutes” could alienate voters who are still undecided. As the election approaches, the media strategies of both candidates will continue to evolve, shaping the narrative leading up to election day.
Trump Backs
