Lesley Stahl is one of the most respected figures in American journalism, a face synonymous with CBS’s 60 Minutes and a voice known for its sharpness, poise, and integrity. Over the decades, she has interviewed world leaders, covered wars, exposed scandals, and earned a reputation for toughness balanced by empathy. Her name once again dominated headlines after her now-infamous interview with President Donald Trump, during which he abruptly walked off the set, accusing her of asking “inappropriate” questions. The tense exchange became an emblem of the political climate, one where facts and accountability are often at odds. Stahl, unshaken, had calmly responded, “You’re president. Don’t you think you should be accountable to the American people?” It was a line that captured her essence as a journalist who refuses to be intimidated, even in the face of power.

This was not her first encounter with Trump. By the time of that interview, she had sat down with him three times before—once when he became the Republican nominee, again after his election as president, and once more during his second year in office. He knew her methods, her persistence, and her ability to push past talking points. For Stahl, the interview was simply another opportunity to do her job, but for Trump, it became a breaking point. What followed was a viral moment of political theater and one more example of why Stahl’s presence in journalism still commands attention after so many years.

Her credentials are a matter of record. Stahl has earned multiple Emmy Awards for her groundbreaking investigative work, including reports on the Guantanamo Bay detention center and China’s volatile real estate market. She has also been honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award for feature reporting and an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Silver Baton for her in-depth exploration of how United Nations sanctions affected Iranian children. Through every major assignment, she has approached her work with rigor and compassion, setting a standard for journalistic excellence that has influenced generations of reporters. Yet behind the steel and professionalism lies another dimension of Lesley Stahl—a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.

Her private life became more public when she shared her husband Aaron Latham’s battle with Parkinson’s disease. A journalist and screenwriter best known for his work on Urban Cowboy, Latham’s diagnosis came more than a decade ago after Stahl noticed subtle changes in his gait during a family trip. She later recalled realizing something was wrong when their daughter asked, “What’s wrong with Dad?” Once the diagnosis was confirmed, Stahl threw herself into researching treatments and unconventional therapies. She discovered that boxing offered remarkable benefits for Parkinson’s patients, helping with coordination, strength, and confidence. Latham took to it enthusiastically, training twice a week and finding renewed energy. Though slower now in his writing and directing, he remains creatively active—a testament to both his resilience and his wife’s unwavering support.

Stahl’s sense of family deepened further when she became a grandmother, an experience that inspired her 2016 book Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting. In it, she described how the arrival of her first grandchild transformed her outlook on life. “Becoming a gran exhilarated me with a new purpose,” she wrote. Ever the journalist, she turned her curiosity inward, interviewing other grandparents and scientists to understand the emotional and biological changes that come with the role. She joked about the stigma of admitting her age in an industry obsessed with youth, noting that being an “LOL”—her term for “little old lady”—carried its own liberation. Her grandchildren call her “Lolly,” a nickname that perfectly matches her warmth and humor.

Her research into grandparenting led her on what she called a “gran tour,” during which she spoke with women from all walks of life about how grandparenthood had reshaped their identities. What she discovered was both universal and profound. Most grandmothers, she found, fall head over heels in love with their grandchildren, describing feelings of joy as intense as first love. “Having grandchildren is why they say old people are happier than young people,” she wrote, capturing the sense of renewal that family can bring later in life. For Stahl, grandmotherhood was not an endpoint but a continuation of her lifelong curiosity about what makes people connect, endure, and grow.

That deep humanity contrasts sharply with the darker turn her career took after the 2020 Trump interview. The incident, which aired on 60 Minutes, showed Trump abruptly ending their conversation and walking off camera, leaving Stahl sitting alone. Later, Trump released the footage early on his own social media, claiming he wanted to expose “bias and hatred” within CBS. The move sparked fury among his supporters, many of whom flooded social media with angry messages directed at Stahl. The backlash escalated dangerously when the Los Angeles Police Department received a death threat against her and her family. The caller mentioned neo-Nazis and vowed violence, prompting CBS to assign 24-hour security to protect her and her loved ones.

Law enforcement confirmed that an investigation was underway to trace the caller, while CBS quietly increased its security measures at Stahl’s home. At seventy-eight, the veteran journalist now lives with guards stationed outside her residence, a chilling reminder of how polarized and perilous the media landscape has become. Despite the threats, she has continued to work, embodying the same resilience that defined her decades-long career. In interviews since, Stahl has admitted that the encounter with Trump caught her off guard, not because of his temper, but because of his decision to leave before she could finish asking her questions. “I still had more to ask,” she said afterward, reflecting on what the moment revealed about accountability and truth.

Today, Lesley Stahl remains a symbol of journalistic endurance in a profession that demands both courage and compassion. Her story is not only about political showdowns or awards but about persistence—the willingness to keep asking questions, to keep caring, and to keep standing firm in the face of intimidation. Whether she is investigating global affairs or celebrating the joys of being “Lolly,” Stahl continues to represent what journalism at its best strives to be: fearless, human, and deeply committed to uncovering the truth, no matter the cost.