Staff Reports
The prospect of a second debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is rapidly slipping away, but conservative voters may not completely miss out on a final showdown. Instead, an enticing alternative is brewing in the form of potential back-to-back interviews on the iconic CBS program “60 Minutes.”
Word from Axios reveals that the Harris camp is in discussions with the long-running newsmagazine regarding an interview, while Trump’s campaign has hinted that there could be something in the works as well. Spokesman Steven Cheung teased excitement about Trump’s engagement with the show, implying that the nation should stay alert for thrilling revelations from the ex-president’s camp.
VP Harris and Trump are considering "60 Minutes" interviews that would air back-to-back on Oct 7 as a campaign grand finale.
👎 Trump ruled out a second debate with Harris.
💬 "I'm confident that this is going to work. For either campaign, it wouldn't be a great look if… pic.twitter.com/TwgrigewE6
— Mick Ross (@mickster) September 22, 2024
This matters because with Trump dismissing the idea of another debate, “60 Minutes”—the kingpin of television news that just raked in 11 million viewers for its latest season premiere—represents a golden opportunity for both candidates to plead their cases to the electorate a mere 29 days before the election. One might say this platform is a veritable goldmine for garnering eyeballs.
Interestingly, despite traditional media efforts, Trump’s special relationship with legacy outlets like “60 Minutes” hasn’t waned. It appears that Trump’s supporters can expect the biggest ratings the show has seen in years, with insiders revealing that “nobody gets ratings like President Donald J. Trump.” This is expected to offer a refreshing angle in an otherwise predictable media landscape.
The interviews are set to be conducted by Scott Pelley for Trump and Bill Whitaker for Harris, providing an entertaining juxtaposition of styles and viewpoints. Whitaker’s familiarity from past interviews with Harris should presumably give her a sense of ease, but one must wonder whether that rapport will hold up in the face of Trump’s unmatched charisma.
The vice-presidential candidates—Tim Walz for the Left and JD Vance for the Right—are also in the mix for potential interviews, a move that could further spice up the already boiling political pot. Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” expressed confidence in the interviews happening, suggesting that no candidate would want to pass up such a major platform. After all, turning down “60 Minutes” might appear not just like a missed opportunity, but a sign of fear—or worse, irrelevance. In the political arena, there’s nothing more dangerous than being considered irrelevant.
