’60 Minutes’ Anchor Lesley Stahl’s Family Gets Death Threat Following Controversial Donald Trump Interview

CBS’ Lesley Stahl now has around-the-clock security after she and her family received death threats following her controversial 60 Minutes interview with President Donald Trump. Broadcast on the network Sunday, that interview gained attention in the days leading up to its airing after the president walked out and criticized Stahl publicly on Twitter, stating that the interview was “fake and biased.”

According to law enforcement sources and multiple other sources who spoke to TMZ, a death threat call was reported to the Los Angeles Police Department at around 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, Oct. 22. That call, which was made to the home of one of Stahl’s immediate family members on the West Coast, came just two days after the president walked out of the interview and just hours before the White House released 38 minutes of the interview on social media. Although details of that call have not been made available, the threat was directed toward Stahl and her family, and the caller reportedly mentioned something about neo-Nazis.

As a result of the threat, CBS is now said to be providing the 60 Minutes anchor with around-the-clock security. The network now has guards monitoring the homes of both Stahl and other members of her family. These guards also escort them when they go out into public as a safety precaution.

The Sunday night segment featured a contentious back-and-forth between Stahl and Trump as the anchor pressed the president on a number of issues, including the coronavirus pandemic, his statements regarding “suburban women,” and his comments regarding “fake news.” It was the latter topic that eventually prompted Trump to walk out of the interview, accusing Stahl of asking his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, “softball” questions while giving him harder ones. Stating, “I think we have enough of an interview here, that’s enough. Let’s go,” Trump left the interview and did not return for a joint interview with Vice President Mike Pence or the scheduled walk around the White House grounds.

Days later, the White House, slamming the interview as “fake and biased,” released the interview, a move that CBS called an “unprecedented decision to disregard their agreement with CBS News.” Regardless, CBS still aired its full 60 Minutes segment Sunday evening. The broadcast brought in 17 million viewers, its largest audience since 60 Minutes‘ March 2018 interview with Stormy Daniels.