Trump reportedly abruptly ends 60 Minutes interview, then threatens to release his own footage

About 45 minutes into an interview with 60 Minutes host Lesley Stahl at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump abruptly got up and left, telling Stahl the network had enough material to use, several people familiar with the matter told CNN.

Trump was also supposed to sit for a joint interview with Vice President Mike Pence, but didn't come back to participate, the sources said. CNN reached out to the White House, and they did not dispute the reporting.

Trump abruptly ends '60 Minutes' solo interview - YouTube

Watch On

On Tuesday afternoon, Trump — who has mocked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for wearing masks and doesn't make face coverings required at his rallies — tweeted a brief clip showing Stahl talking to two people. "Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes not wearing a mask in the White House after her interview with me," Trump said. "Much more to come." A person familiar with the matter told CNN the video was filmed immediately after Trump left the room, and Stahl wore a mask until right before the interview started.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

In a follow-up tweet, Trump said that for "the sake of accuracy in reporting," he is "considering posting my interview with Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes, PRIOR TO AIRTIME! This will be done so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about..." The interview — whatever can be cobbled together — is set to air on CBS Sunday night.