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Trump tweets pictures of 60 Minutes interview he walked out of 'because he didn't like journalist's tone'

President ‘abruptly’ walked out of interview with broadcaster

Graeme Massie
Wednesday 21 October 2020 18:12 EDT
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Mark Meadows calls Lesley Stahl 'opinion journalist'

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Donald Trump has tweeted out pictures of the 60 Minutes interview he walked out of "because he didn't like journalist's tone."

Mr Trump walked out “abruptly” on the White House interview with Lesley Stahl and has threatened to release the footage himself before it airs on Sunday.

Now the president has shared as string of photos of the interview with Ms Stahl on his Twitter account.

Unusually Mr Trump made no comment on the pictures, which were shot as he talked with the veteran broadcast journalist.

The president walked out of the interview because he did not like the ‘tone’ of Ms Stahl’s questioning, an unnamed source familiar with the interview told the Washington Post.

During the interview Mr Trump was pushed on his handling of the coronavirus, his relationship with Dr Anthony Fauci and his criticism of the governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer.

“She just had a tone he didn’t like,” a staffer told the Washington Post.

After the interview the president posted a picture of Ms Stahl in the White House without a mask.

CBS News has defended the journalist and said she was talking to her producers, both of whom were masked, immediately after the interview and that they had all been tested for coronavirus.

“I am pleased to inform you that, for the sake of accuracy in reporting, I am 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,” Mr Trump tweeted after the interview.

Mr Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows defended his boss during an appearance on the Fox Business channel

“Well, he didn't walk out. I mean, the characterization of that, he spent over 45 minutes with Lesley Stahl,” said Mr Meadows.

“I've looked at every single minute of the interview, and then some. She came across more like an opinion journalist. than a real reporter”

Mr Meadows then said there was “a high probability” that the video would be released before Sunday.

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