Vice President Kamala Harris is still set to appear on "60 Minutes" in a pre-recorded interview on October 7. However, former President Donald Trump has declined an invitation to take part in a special election episode of the show, according to CBS.
The Trump campaign's communications director disputed CBS’s claim that Trump had initially agreed to the interview but later withdrew, clarifying that Trump would not participate.
While Harris will feature in the broadcast as planned, Trump's interview, which had been scheduled for the October 7 special election edition, is no longer happening. This was confirmed by the network on October 1 via social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
CBS originally stated that Scott Pelley, a veteran correspondent, was supposed to interview Trump after his campaign confirmed participation. The show, which typically airs back-to-back interviews with presidential candidates near election time, will proceed without Trump.
Trump campaign's communications director, Steven Cheung, stated on X that there had never been an agreement for Trump to appear on the show. He added that CBS “begged” for an interview and highlighted that discussions had taken place, but no formal scheduling occurred. Cheung also mentioned that CBS had insisted on live fact-checking, calling it unprecedented.
The pre-taped interview with Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee, will be conducted by correspondent Bill Whitaker, according to CBS.
For over 50 years, "60 Minutes" has invited candidates from both major parties to participate in interviews leading up to elections. This year, both the Harris and Trump campaigns had initially agreed to appear. However, after initially accepting, Trump’s campaign ultimately decided not to go through with the interview.
Scott Pelley is expected to address Trump’s decision during the episode on October 7, while CBS reiterated that its invitation to Trump for the interview remains open.
These interviews were intended to be one of the last opportunities for voters to see both candidates on a major network ahead of the November 5 election.
The announcement came shortly before a vice presidential debate between Republican Sen. JD Vance and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in Minnesota, which is expected to be the only such debate before the election.
CBS News also hosted this vice presidential debate, and as of now, no additional debates are planned between Trump and Harris, who last debated on September 10.
0 Comments