CBS News claimed the White House violated an agreement with the Network

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CBS News has claimed that US President violated an agreement with the News Network to withhold releasing footage from interviews with the president and Mike Pence. The network condemned the move and said Trump repeatedly refused to answer questions from correspondent Lesley Stahl and alleged the network of Bias, Hatred, and Rudeness. CBS issued a statement and said, “The White House’s unprecedented decision to disregard their agreement with CBS News and release their footage will not deter 60 Minutes from providing its full, fair and contextual reporting which presidents have participated in for decades”. Donald Trump grew combative and restless with journalist Stahl, who calmly pressed him on several subjects while he accused her of not being fair before he suddenly ended the interview.

Point to be noted that Trump’s preemptive airing of the interviews has sought to further undermine media scrutiny in the days leading up to Election Day on 3^rd November 2020. The airing of the interviews is set on 60 Minutes alongside interviews with Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. The interviews were also posted hours before President Trump and Joe Biden are set to appear in their final debate. The final debate will be moderated by another female journalist, NBC’s Kristen Welker. CBS claimed that the White House and Network agreed it would be recorded for archival purposes.

CBS also said, “Few journalists have the presidential interview experience Lesley Stahl has delivered over her decades as one of the premier correspondents in America and we look forward to audiences seeing her third interview with President Trump and subsequent interview with Vice President Pence this weekend”. The vice president Mike Pence refused to answer in Stahl’s separate interview why Trump left the interview. She told Pence, “You didn’t answer any of my questions. You just gave speeches. This was not a rally. This was supposed to be an interview and the same with the president. I feel that you both have insulted 60 Minutes and me by not answering many of our questions and by giving set campaign speeches that we’ve heard both of you give at rallies without answering our questions”.