Trump Cuts Short ’60 Minutes’ Taping at White House, Slams CBS News’ Lesley Stahl

The president then threatened to release the interview early on his own

Donald Trump
Oliver Contreras / Getty Images

President Donald Trump cut short an interview by CBS News’ Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes” on Tuesday, attacked her for not wearing a mask and then threatened to release the interview ahead of its airtime.

The president tweeted: “Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes not wearing a mask in the White House after her interview with me. Much more to come,” he tweeted along with a video of Stahl and two other men, both of whom were masked while she was not. The clip is only six seconds long.

He tweeted thereafter: “I am pleased to inform you that, for the sake of accuracy in reporting, I am considering posting my interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, PRIOR TO AIRTIME! This will be done so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about…”

But according to CBS News, Stahl was wearing a mask when she entered the White House and up until the point the interview with Trump began, and that the video the president tweeted was taken moments after the interview ended when Stahl was talking to her producers. The White House had also agreed to only tape the interview for archival purposes, CBS said.

Last Sunday’s “60 Minutes” was television’s top non-sports primetime show, according to Nielsen Media Research ratings. The program brought in an average of 9.1 million viewers and featured Stahl’s interview with poisoned Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, an interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci and the story of cruise ship passengers exposed to or infected with COVID-19 who said the CDC still allowed them to board commercial flights.

Trump’s interview with Stahl is expected to air on this Sunday’s “60 Minutes” (along with interviews with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris).

Check out Trump’s tweet below:

 

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