Barack Obama Throws Shade At Trump After His 60 Minutes Walkout
Leading up to the 2020 election on Nov. 3, Republican candidate President Donald J. Trump and Democratic candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, are pulling out all the stops (literally) campaigning in battleground states. The two candidates have held rallies (or virtual ones), given countless speeches and town halls, and even leaned on celebrities to help make their case for the presidency.
As in years past, another stop is a sit-down interview with CBS' 60 Minutes. However, incumbent President Trump seemed to have a bit of an issue with CBS correspondent and veteran journalist, Lesley Stahl, turning what was supposed a run-of-the-mill chat into a hurricane of chaos. Before the release of CBS' 60 Minutes interview with the president, the Republican candidate took to Twitter to allege that the conversation was rife with "bias, hatred and rudeness." To CBS' chagrin, the White House released nearly 38 minutes of the interview to Trump's official Facebook page three days before its official release. The clip featured many tense exchanges whenever Stahl pressed the president on relevant topics, like the coronavirus and his handling of the U.S. economy.
The full video showed back-and-forth between Trump and Stahl up until the incumbent candidate walked out on the interview. The CBS vs. Trump debacle even caught the attention of former President Barack Obama, who mentioned the incident during an Oct. 24 campaign rally — here's what he had to say.
Barack Obama doesn't think Trump is very 'tough'
President Barack Obama has taken to the campaign trail multiple times to speak on behalf of his dear friend and former colleague, Democratic nominee Joe Biden. During a campaign stop in Florida on Oct. 24, 2020, President Obama took a few jabs at Biden's opponent, President Donald Trump, by bringing up the Republican candidate's walkout on CBS.
"He likes to act tough and talk tough. He thinks scowling and being mean is tough," said the former president about the incumbent candidate, according to CNN. "But when 60 Minutes and Lesley Stahl are too tough for you, you ain't all that tough." President Obama joked that if President Trump couldn't handle a 60 Minutes interview, he is "never going to stand up to a dictator."
Speaking of "tough," Trump reprimanded journalist Lesley Stahl for asking him "tough questions." The president complained, "Excuse me, Lesley, you started with me, your first statement was, 'Are you ready for tough questions?' That's no way to talk. No way to talk." Trump later walked out, saying as he left, "Well, I think we have enough. I think we have enough of an interview here. OK? That's enough. Let's go, let's go."