On Monday, 60 Minutes aired an interview with Kamala Harris, continuing its long tradition of featuring presidential candidates on the CBS program. However, Harris was the only White House hopeful to participate, following President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw after initially agreeing to the interview.
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| Bill Whitaker interviews Vice President and Democratic nominee for president Kamala Harris during a special primetime edition of '60 Minutes' on Oct. 7. Courtesy of CBS Television Network |
“If he’s not willing to engage in a meaningful, thoughtful conversation with your viewers, then you can watch his rallies. What you’ll hear is him talking about himself and his personal grievances. What you won’t hear is anything about you, the listener,” Harris told 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, just days after news emerged of Trump’s withdrawal from the election special.
“You won’t hear how he plans to unite the country or find common ground. Bill, this is why I truly believe that the American people are ready to move forward.”
Neither Trump nor his running mate J.D. Vance participated in the interview, prompting 60 Minutes to proceed without them, instead showcasing conversations with Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. But not before explaining the situation.
Scott Pelley, who was supposed to conduct the Trump interview, appeared during the segment to discuss 60 Minutes’ history of conducting interviews with presidential candidates for more than 50 years. Despite Trump’s claims that the interview was never confirmed, and his campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissing 60 Minutes’ confirmation as “fake news,” Pelley provided booking details.
“The Trump campaign initially informed us the interview would be last Thursday at Mar-a-Lago. They also asked if we would meet 78-year-old Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he survived an assassination attempt. We agreed,” Pelley explained. “On September 9, Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, texted, ‘I’m working with our advance team to see if Butler is feasible in addition to the sit-down.'”
Days later, Cheung confirmed Trump’s participation, Pelley continued. “But a week ago, Trump pulled out. His campaign gave varying reasons. First, they objected to our fact-checking process, which we do for all interviews. Then, Trump demanded an apology for the 2020 interview with Leslie Stahl, in which he claims she said Hunter Biden’s laptop came from Russia. She never made that statement.”
Pelley remarked that without another debate scheduled, the broadcast could have been one of the largest audiences for the candidates before November’s election. Without Trump and J.D. Vance, the episode featured Harris and Walz discussing issues like the Middle East conflict, immigration, abortion, and rising grocery prices. Whitaker followed Harris last week in Wisconsin, a key swing state, and interviewed her at her Washington, D.C. home.
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| Bill Whitaker interviews Governor Tim Walz during 60 Minutes. Courtesy of CBS Television Network |
The program opened with Harris addressing the Israel-Hamas war and the U.S.’s role in preventing further escalation. Monday marked the anniversary of a Hamas-led attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis on October 7, the deadliest in the country’s history, leading to an ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which has reportedly killed over 40,000 Palestinians.
“As I said then, and I maintain, Israel has a right to defend itself. We would do the same. But how they defend themselves matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have died. This war must end,” Harris said.
Whitaker pressed Harris on whether the U.S. has any influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appears to be acting independently despite billions in U.S. military aid.
“Our diplomatic efforts with Israeli leadership are ongoing, emphasizing our principles,” she responded. “We’ll continue pushing for what’s necessary, making it clear where the U.S. stands on ending this war.”
The interview also touched on domestic issues, with Harris promoting policies like a federal ban on price gouging for food, expanding the child tax credit, and tax incentives for first-time homebuyers and entrepreneurs. Whitaker challenged her, noting that her economic plan could add $3 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade, but Harris disputed that. “Other economists have reviewed my plan and found it would strengthen the economy, while my opponent’s would weaken it.”
Switching topics, Whitaker questioned Harris about her recent comments on being a gun owner, asking what kind of gun she owns and if she’s ever fired it.
“I’ve owned a Glock for a long time,” Harris said. “My background is in law enforcement, so yes, I’ve fired it at a shooting range.”
With the election less than a month away, the 60 Minutes interview was part of Harris’s media campaign. On Tuesday, she’s set to appear on ABC’s The View, followed by an interview with Howard Stern on SiriusXM, and later, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. On Thursday, she will participate in a TelevisaUnivision town hall in Las Vegas, moderated by Enrique Acevedo.
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| Alex Cooper interviews Kamala Harris for the Call Her Daddy podcast. Courtesy of Call Her Daddy |
This media blitz follows a controversial Sunday interview with podcast host Alex Cooper for Call Her Daddy, where Harris addressed women’s issues, including sexual abuse, abortion access, and student loan forgiveness.
Cooper also asked her to respond to criticisms about not having children, referencing a quote from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “My kids keep me humble. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris doesn’t have anything keeping her humble.”
Harris replied, “I feel sorry for her. I don’t think she understands that many women aren’t aspiring to be humble. Many women have love, family, and children in their lives, and we should uplift each other.”
She continued, “I have both family by blood and family by love. I consider it a blessing to have two beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who call me ‘Mamala.’ We have a modern family—my husband’s ex-wife is a friend of mine. Family takes many forms, and that’s something more of us understand nowadays.”
Cooper concluded the episode by reminding her audience, “This conversation isn’t about changing your political affiliation. It’s about listening to a discussion not too different from the ones we have here every week.”
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