White House chief of staff Mark Meadows blasted CBS News “60 Minutes” anchor Lesley Stahl saying she came across as an “opinion journalist” and not a “real reporter.”
He said there is a good chance that President Trump will release the video he has of the now infamous interview before it airs.
Trump said yesterday, “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.”
From Fox News: “He didn’t walk out. … He spent over 45 minutes with Lesley Stahl,” Meadows told FOX Business’ “Mornings with Maria” in response to reports that the president had stormed out of the meeting. “Listen, when you have a ’60 Minutes’ reporter, they should be reporter, not opinion journalist. She came across more like an opinion journalist than a real reporter.”
He continued: “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.”
Meadows said there appears to be a “high probability” Trump will release a clip of the interview early, as he tweeted.
A CBS News spokesperson told Fox News that Trump cut the interview short, and a scheduled joint “walk and talk” with himself and Vice President Mike Pence was reportedly scrapped.
The CBS News spokesperson said the White House had agreed to tape the interview for archival purposes only.
Earlier, Trump called out the “60 Minutes” correspondent for not wearing a mask at the White House, sharing a video of a maskless Stahl speaking with two staffers, both of whom were wearing masks.
The CBS News spokesperson said the photo of Stahl without a mask was taken immediately after the interview, and that she had been wearing a mask in the time before the interview.
