Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris found herself in the spotlight during a recent episode of 60 Minutes, but the real headline was how the program fell short by failing to secure an interview with her arch-nemesis, former President Donald Trump. As they prepare for the upcoming election, CBS News had originally lined up a face-to-face chat with both candidates, but somehow, that brilliant plan went belly-up, leaving viewers deprived of the spectacle they were promised.
Scott Pelley, whose investigative prowess is rivaled only by his ability to create drama, was set to take the reins for this ambitious joint interview. What could have been a riveting back-and-forth between the two candidates morphed into a simple one-sided affair where Harris got to trot out her talking points without the predictable interruptions from the former president. One can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from the CBS crew, who can put the kettle on, knowing they won’t face the brash unpredictability of Trump.
Trump definitely made the right move not to go on 60 Minutes. Why would he after the Leslie Stahl fiasco. They have turned into a pure propaganda program, including featuring Stephen Richer who was in on the theft of the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/KVROXDSYpu
— The Researcher (@listen_2learn) October 8, 2024
As for Pelley’s claims regarding the interview that never was, they were met with skepticism straight out of a Trump rally. According to him, there were supposed meet-ups in Mar-a-Lago and some rally in Pennsylvania, but it appears Trump had a few tricks up his sleeve. The former president supposedly took a step back from this elaborate ruse, and Pelley, probably realizing that a faceoff with Trump would be akin to stepping into a tornado, decided to shift gears. Meanwhile, Pelley inexplicably mentioned needing an apology from Trump about a previous interview, which makes one wonder who was really holding the grudge here.
Donald Trump’s campaign quickly refuted Pellie’s timeline and assertions, declaring them just another attempt at the so-called ‘fake news’ media to spin a narrative. The Trump-Vance communications director didn’t mince words, blasting the original source as a power-hungry entity, eagerly seeking face time with Trump despite the past drama involving Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop. Cheung stated that while there might have been some initial chat about an interview, nothing got more than minor attention, especially when Trump had more critical matters at hand—like capturing swing states.
The Twitterverse might have erupted in laughter upon hearing Cheung allege that 60 Minutes had not only tried to mislead the public but also demanded absurd editing cuts of Trump’s replies. Apparently, the illustrious program wanted to play editor-in-chief with Trump’s words, pulling a few jump cuts to turn the dialogue into a skewed narrative. Typical! It’s as if they thought they could put a leash on unfiltered Trump by turnings his responses into a highlight reel, which, needless to say, didn’t fit into his busy schedule of electioneering.
In the end, while Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz made his appearance, overshadowed by the absence of his Republican counterpart, J.D. Vance, it’s hard not to view this whole charade as a poorly scripted soap opera conceived by a desperate network. With Trump firmly committed to strategy and timing, he simply wasn’t going to let 60 Minutes write the script for this showdown. The stage may have been set for a debate but, like clockwork, Trump kept the plot twist rolling right along, leaving those at CBS high and dry and wondering how they let their chance slip away.
