‘It’s everything you thought it would be’
President Trump released Thursday an unedited video of his interview with Lesley Stahl of “60 Minutes,” arguing the American people should be allowed to decide for themselves whether CBS is representing him fairly.
The interview opens with Stahl asking the president about his biggest domestic priority for a second term and almost immediately calling him a liar.
The president touted the roaring economy before the coronavirus pandemic, with record-low unemployment and record stock market highs.
She interrupted with, “You know that’s not true.”
The RedState blog said that after reviewing the video, it’s obvious Trump’s decision to release it was justified.
“Stahl came in loaded for bear and set up the interview by asking the president if he was ‘ready for some tough questions.’ Trump responded with a shrug.”
He told her to “just be fair.”
“You don’t ask Biden tough questions,” the president said.
RedState commented that it “didn’t get much better from there.”
“Stahl began by asking about Trump’s biggest domestic priority and then interrupted him repeatedly throughout his answers, not letting him finish a thought and challenging his statements before he’d even finished answering. Stahl went on to press him about job numbers, refusing to acknowledge record job growth in the pandemic recovery and instead choosing to focus on unemployment claims. When Trump refused to be led into negativity, the 60 Minutes host delved into mask shaming, asking the President why he doesn’t make people wear masks at his rallies. When Trump pointed out that they hand out thousands of masks at every rally and many people wear them, she persisted in asking why he doesn’t force people to wear masks.”
Stahl repeatedly contradicted the president.
“Stahl would ask a question, Trump would answer it (‘I have encouraged people to wear masks and I say it all the time’) and then Stahl would tell Trump it isn’t true and Trump would answer again and Stahl would repeat the question,” the blog said.
The president noted Stahl and others in the media have refused to ask Joe Biden about the growing evidence he was involved in an influence-peddling scandal with his son Hunter.
Stahl called the claims “unverifiable.” However, a former business partner of Hunter Biden on Thursday confirmed many of the specific charges and said he witnessed the father and son discussing a deal that would benefit the former vice president.
RedState said that on “questions about topics from Obamacare to COVID response to campaign tactics, Trump continually brought the conversation back around to the corruption of the media.”
At one point, Stahl asked why he seems so defensive all the time.
“When people put out phony witch hunts, when they spy on your campaign you have to fight back and if you don’t fight back you go home, you go back home to mommy,” Trump replied.
Stahl claimed the president’s approach was “attack attack attack.”
The president replied, “It’s defense against attacks.”
The interview ended when producers said the vice president was a few minutes from coming in for his interview.
See the unedited interview:
Trump on Tuesday chastised Stahl for not wearing a mask at the White House.
Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes not wearing a mask in the White House after her interview with me. Much more to come. pic.twitter.com/0plZG6a4fH
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 20, 2020
