Former President Donald Trump canceled a planned interview with CNBC, one of its hosts said on-air Tuesday, marking the second interview with a major network Trump has backed out of in recent weeks as he and Vice President Kamala Harris have ramped up their media exposure in the final stretch of the campaign.
Former President Donald Trump Is interviewed by Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait ... [+]
Trump backed out of the interview and Harris has also rejected an invitation from the network, Squawk Box host Joe Kernan said on air Tuesday.
The Trump campaign told multiple outlets he can’t sit for the interview due to a scheduling conflict; Forbes has reached out to both campaigns for comment.
Trump has spurned mainstream media in the home stretch of the campaign on several occasions, backing out of an interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes” after the network refused to apologize over a comment correspondent Lesly Stahl made about the Hunter Biden laptop controversy while interviewing Trump in 2020; his campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung also cited CBS’ fact-checking protocol in a tweet addressing his decision to sit out the interview.
Trump also declined an invitation from CNN to participate in a second debate with Harris later this month after their first face off on Sept. 10.
Trump and Harris have both upped their media exposure in the home stretch of the campaign—Bloomberg interviewed Trump from the Chicago Economic Club on Tuesday, and Fox News will air a pre-taped town hall with Trump on Wednesday; Fox News’ Bret Baier will also air an interview with Harris later Wednesday and Charlamagne tha God, co-host of “The Breakfast Club,” will interview her at 5 p.m. Tuesday live on iHeartRadio.
Trump has called for CBS to lose its broadcasting rights over how it edited the “60 Minutes” interview with Harris that aired last week. Trump and his allies have taken issue with a shorter version of Harris’ answer to a question about Israel that appeared in the full segment versus the extended answer the network aired in a preview of the interview. Trump has called the editing “election interference” and a “fake news scam.” Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel rejected Trump’s request in a statement that said the agency “does not and will not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage.” Trump also attacked Fox for scheduling an interview with Harris, calling some of its guests and contributors “Harris Radical Left Democrat mouthpieces” in a Truth Social post on Monday, alleging the network “has totally lost its way!”
Trump and Harris have both opted for more interviews with niche outlets and those they don’t typically frequent as Election Day nears and they court undecided voters who span various demographics. Harris’ interview with Fox will be her first-ever “formal sit-down” with the network. She and Trump could also appear on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast, widely seen as a potential appeal to male voters, according to multiple reports. Harris has appeared recently on podcasts typically reserved for celebrity guests, including “The Breakfast Club,” Alex Cooper’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, and “All the Smoke” hosted by former NBA stars. Trump has also increased his podcast exposure, particularly among those with primarily male audiences, with appearances on YouTuber Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast and “Full Send” with the “Nelk Boys,” YouTubers who are popular among right-wing male audiences.
Trump And Harris May Appear On Joe Rogan’s Podcast—Despite His Harsh Comments About Both (Forbes)
'Why Would I Do A Rematch?': Trump Dismisses Another Debate With Harris (Forbes)
Harris Sitting For First-Ever Fox News Interview This Week (Forbes)