White House Disputes Report Trump Abruptly Ended ‘60 Minutes’ Interview

President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One upon arrival at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, on Oct. 19, 2020. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is disputing CNN’s reporting that President Donald Trump abruptly cut short an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that was slated for broadcast on Oct. 25.

“Well, he didn’t walk out,” Meadows told Fox Business on Oct. 21. “He spent over 45 minutes with [CBS correspondent] Lesley Stahl. I’ve looked at every single minute of the interview and then some. We have tape of every single minute.

“Journalism should have standards, and we need to get to the bottom of it, so I think the American people will be able to see it,” he added.

Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller also disputed the reports that the president’s interview ended abruptly.

“Very fake news! No drama, interview was not ended abruptly, and we have the receipts from the interview—all of them! Maybe we need to put the whole thing out so people can see for themselves?” Miller wrote on Twitter.

On Oct. 20, Trump said on Twitter that he might release his interview with Stahl and “60 Minutes” ahead of time, for “the sake of accuracy in reporting.” Minutes before that, he posted a video that appeared to show Stahl in the White House not wearing a mask.

“Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes not wearing a mask in the White House after her interview with me. Much more to come,” he said.

At an Oct. 20 campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump told supporters, “You have to watch what we do to ‘60 Minutes.’

“You’re gonna get such a kick out of it. You’re gonna get a kick out of it. Lesley Stahl’s not gonna be happy,” he told the crowd. He didn’t elaborate.

In response, CBS News said Stahl wore a mask inside the White House and greeted Trump. She removed the mask when the interview began, and socially distanced due to the CCP virus pandemic, the network said.

A CBS News spokesperson told Fox News that Trump cut short the interview and didn’t do a “walk and talk” with himself and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House, which CBS said was previously scheduled. The spokesperson said the photo of Stahl without a mask was taken immediately after the interview.

Earlier this year, Stahl said she had a battle with COVID-19 that left her hospitalized for a week. The longtime journalist said she was “really scared” after fighting pneumonia caused by the CCP virus for two weeks at home before going to the hospital, according to The Associated Press.