During an interview on 60 Minutes with Lesley Stahl, President Donald Trump decided that he’s had enough of the conversation and walked out.
After complimenting Attorney General Barr and calling him “a great gentleman,” Trump accused Stahl of “bringing up a lot of subjects that were inappropriately brought up.”
“You’re the president, don’t you think you should be accountable to the American people?” Stahl asked. (RELATED: Chris Wallace Earns Across-The-Board Praise For Tough Trump Interview)
WATCH:
Trump does indeed complain about the 60 Minutes questions, but i was told he stormed out/walked out of the interview. i … don’t see that happening here. pic.twitter.com/g5Lmi9ppKO
— tsar becket adams (@BecketAdams) October 22, 2020
The president noted that Stahl had said at the beginning of the interview that she would be asking “tough questions.”
“I don’t mind that, but when you set up the interview you didn’t say that,” Trump said. “You said ‘oh, let’s have a lovely interview.’ And here’s what I do say, you don’t ask Joe Biden – I saw your interview with Joe, the interview, with Joe Biden, it was a joke.” Stahl said that she had never interviewed the former Vice President.
“I’ve seen all of his interviews,” Trump said. “He’s never been asked a question that’s hard.”
“Okay but forget him for a minute,” Stahl responded.
“Excuse me Leslie but you started with me, your first statement was, ‘are you ready for tough questions?’ That’s no way to talk,” the president told Stahl.
A producer then said that they had 5 minutes until Vice President Mike Pence was going to step in.
“Well, I think we have enough,” Trump said. Stahl agreed, saying “I think we are ready for the Vice President now.”
The president then got up from his chair and walked away from the interview.
Trump tweeted out his full interview with 60 Minutes Thursday before it had a chance to air. The interview was originally scheduled to air Sunday.
“Look at the bias, hatred and rudeness on behalf of 60 Minutes and CBS,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Tonight’s anchor, Kristen Welker, is far worse! #MAGA” Welker, an NBC News journalist, is scheduled to moderate the Presidential debate Thursday night.
CBS News released an article Thursday saying that the Trump administration had violated an agreement with the network by releasing the interview ahead of its scheduled release date.
“The White House’s unprecedented decision to disregard their agreement with CBS News and release their footage will not deter 60 MINUTES from providing its full, fair and contextual reporting which presidents have participated in for decades,” CBS said in a statement. “60 MINUTES, the most-watched news program on television, is widely respected for bringing its hallmark fairness, deep reporting and informative context to viewers each week.”
“Few journalists have the presidential interview experience Lesley Stahl has delivered over her decades as one of the premier correspondents in America and we look forward to audiences seeing her third interview with President Trump and subsequent interview with Vice President Pence this weekend,” the network added.