Leslie Stahl (born December 16, 1941, in Lynn, Massachusetts) is an American television journalist. As of 2005, she has reported for CBS on 60 Minutes for almost fifteen seasons. A graduate of Wheaton College, her career received a running start from her coverage of the Watergate affair. She went on to become White House correspondent during the presidencies of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. Stahl was also the moderator of Face the Nation between September 1983 and May 1991.
In 1986 Lesley Stahl arrived at the Oval Office to find Reagan incoherent and incapable of answering even basic questions. She was concerned that she was going to have to tell the nation that Reagan was a "doddering space cadet". As the afternoon wore on, Reagan's normal disposition returned and the interview was finished. White House spokesperson Larry Speakes requested that Stahl not reveal Reagan's condition and she obliged. In 1994, Reagan admitted that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On November 5, 1994, he informed the nation of his condition via a hand-written letter.
She has written one book, Reporting Live, which was published in 1999. From 2002 to 2004, Stahl also hosted 48 Hours Investigates.
Al Gore announced he would not run for president again during a 60 Minutes interview with her. In October 2005, she made a notable appearance on The Colbert Report.
In 1977, Stahl married author Aaron Latham. The couple currently lives in New York.
