Former President Donald Trump has unexpectedly pulled out of an interview with 60 Minutes scheduled to air next week, according to a statement released by CBS News on Tuesday. The announcement came just hours before the network was set to air the vice presidential debate.
The 60 Minutes election special, set to air Monday, October 7, at 8 p.m., was to feature interviews with both Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Harris had agreed to sit down with correspondent Bill Whitaker, while Trump was slated to be interviewed by Scott Pelley. However, the Trump campaign abruptly withdrew from the segment, leaving CBS to address the situation on air during the upcoming broadcast.
Despite Trump’s withdrawal, CBS reiterated that its invitation to the former president remains open. “Our original invitation to former President Donald Trump to be interviewed on 60 Minutes stands,” a CBS spokesperson confirmed.
According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Trump was the first to accept the interview invitation through a campaign spokesperson. The arrangement was to provide each campaign with equal time—half of the episode would feature Trump, while the other half would focus on Harris. After initially agreeing, the Trump campaign informed 60 Minutes that the former president would no longer participate in the special.
This isn’t the first time Trump has had a contentious relationship with 60 Minutes. Four years ago, both Trump and President Joe Biden sat down for interviews on the show ahead of the 2020 election. Trump’s interaction with veteran correspondent Lesley Stahl became notably tense, culminating in Trump walking off the set mid-interview. Despite the rocky interaction, the episode was a ratings success for CBS, drawing an impressive 17 million viewers. told by CNN.
Vice President Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, is also scheduled to appear in an interview during the special, further highlighting the significance of this episode as the 2024 election season intensifies. Whether Trump will reconsider participating remains uncertain, but his absence is sure to be a major talking point when the special airs next week.
