Donald Trump abruptly canceled an interview on his economic plans with business channel CNBC, one of its anchors announced Tuesday. Joe Kernen, the conservative-leaning host of its flagship show Squawk Box, revealed the move during an interview with Charles Phillips, the former Oracle president who is supporting Vice President Kamala Harris, saying “Trump canceled.” The interview had not previously been announced by either side. Sources told the Daily Beast that the network had invited Trump to an in-studio sit-down on Squawk Box to take place later this week and that his campaign had initially accepted. The show has three co-hosts. While Kernen is right-leaning and was named during Trump’s trial as one of a small number of contacts in his phone, one of the other co-hosts, Andrew Ross Sorkin, is also a New York Times journalist who has reported critically on the former president. The cancelation continues Trump’s policy of avoiding mainstream television interviews, which included ending his participation in a sitdown with CBS News’ 60 Minutes. Instead he has been interviewed repeatedly by friendly Fox News hosts including Maria Bartiromo, and appeared with podcasters including comedian Andrew Schultz. His public schedule said he would be interviewed Tuesday by Bloomberg before an address to the Economic Club of Chicago.
