[NFA] The White House on Thursday released raw footage from an interview that U.S. President Donald Trump did with "60 Minutes" reporter Lesley Stahl, breaking an agreement to keep material from the highly-anticipated clash private until an edited version could air this weekend.
This report produced by Chris Dignam.
STAHL: "Are you ready for some tough questions?" TRUMP: "You're going to be fair." President Donald Trump on Thursday made good on his threat to release raw footage from a contentious interview with veteran "60 Minutes" reporter Lesley Stahl ahead of its Sunday broadcast, posting the nearly 38-minute, unedited, single-frame copy of the interview on Facebook -- breaking an agreement with CBS.
STAHL: "You're president and..." TRUMP: "Excuse me, Lesley.
You started with me.
Your first statement was, 'Are you ready for tough questions?'
That's no way to talk." Trump cuts off the interview after that last exchange, following questions from Stahl about the coronavirus pandemic... TRUMP: "We are rounding the corner.
We're rounding the corner.
We're doing well." ... his attempts to reach suburban women... TRUMP: "...the way you have it, it's like, oh, like I'm begging." ... and a lawsuit supported by his administration to nullify the Affordable Care Act.
"I hope that they end it.
It’ll be so good if they end it." The Facebook post was titled "Look at the bias, hatred and rudeness on behalf of 60 Minutes and CBS.
Tonight’s anchor, Kristen Welker, is far worse!" It came the same day Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden face off in their last debate before the Nov.
3 election.
At a campaign rally in Arizona on Monday, Trump attacked the credibility of Welker, Thursday night's debate moderator.
TRUMP ON OCTOBER 19, 2020: "She's a radical Democrat.
[FLASH] She's been screaming questions at me for a long time, and she's no good.
But I figured, 'what the hell,' she asks you a question.
How did I do the other night against one that was worse?
She was worse, Savannah." Trump was referring NBC's Savannah Guthrie, another prominent female journalist.
TRUMP: "She was like a crazed lunatic." Guthrie had moderated a town hall event with the president last week.
TRUMP: "You think she'd ask questions like this of Joe?
I don't think so." CBS News, the network that airs "60 Minutes," defended Stahl's integrity and blasted Trump's "unprecedented decision" to disregard an agreement to keep the footage private, but said the move would not deter the show "from providing its full, fair and contextual reporting which presidents have participated in for decades." TRUMP: "So why don't you get back to your interview and let's go." STAHL: "Okay." Sunday's 60 Minutes program will also include an interview with Vice President Mike Pence and interviews with Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris.
Jeff Vaughn reports.
