President Donald Trump demanded the termination of CBS’s long-standing news show “60 Minutes,” citing fraud and election interference. He made this demand on his Truth Social platform and argued that CBS should have its license revoked and the production team of the show should be dismissed. This development is a result of Trump’s ongoing $10 billion lawsuit against CBS regarding an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump alleges that “60 Minutes” manipulated Harris’ interview to portray her positively, thereby influencing the election. His claims originate from a discrepancy between a preview of Harris’ response about Israel and the final broadcast. Trump and his supporters maintain that the edited version masked her struggle to provide a coherent stance. CBS has dismissed these allegations, explaining that their editing process adheres to standard journalistic practices.
To counter Trump’s lawsuit, CBS made public the uncut transcript of Harris’ interview, arguing that it demonstrates the broadcast was neither manipulated nor misleading. The network underlined that journalists commonly edit interviews for clarity and to fit time restrictions. Despite CBS’s defense, its parent company, Paramount Global, is allegedly in settlement talks while seeking regulatory approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump supporter, backed Trump’s assertions and demanded complete transcripts and interview footage from CBS. CBS complied and later made the documents available to the public. In a Fox News interview, Carr stated that there was clear evidence that “The policy says you can’t swap answers out to make it look like somebody said something entirely different.” The FCC’s decision to investigate CBS has been criticized by some, including Democratic Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, who labeled the investigation as part of a larger political strategy.
Trump has also extended his media campaign, escalating false allegations that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) unlawfully sent money to media organizations, including Politico. Trump and his allies accuse USAID of making $8 million in illegal payments, an accusation Politico has refuted.
Documents indicate that only two USAID payments totaling just under $43,000 were made for Politico’s subscription services in 2023 and 2024. Politico insists that it has never benefited from government funding or subsidies.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, repeated Trump’s assertions, stating that USAID’s spending on Politico would be halted. The Washington Post reported that USAID’s payments were part of standard government subscriptions to Politico Pro, a specialized news service used by policymakers. Critics argue that Trump’s allegations distort regular government spending.
The disputes involving CBS and Politico are part of a wider effort by the Trump administration against major media outlets. Under Carr, the FCC has revived investigations into ABC and NBC while excluding Fox News from similar probes. The administration has also exerted pressure on media outlets through lawsuits and regulatory actions.
Public broadcasting has also been targeted by Trump’s allies. FCC inquiries into NPR and PBS suggest that their corporate sponsorship messages may resemble commercials, potentially endangering federal funding.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has called on public broadcasting executives to testify before Congress on bias allegations.
Meanwhile, Trump continues legal action against Gannett’s Des Moines Register for supposedly inaccurate election polling and the Pulitzer Prize committee over awards given for reporting on Trump’s connections to Russia. Previous settlements have included payments from media companies such as ABC News and Meta to Trump.
Executives at Paramount, facing regulatory obstacles in their merger with Skydance Media, appear inclined to settle Trump’s lawsuit. However, CBS News leadership, including “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens and network President Wendy McMahon, have resisted issuing an apology or making concessions.
As these disputes continue, the administration has also changed press access at the Pentagon, favoring outlets like the New York Post and Breitbart, as opposed to Politico, NPR, The New York Times, and NBC News. While no credentials were revoked, these changes restrict these organizations’ direct access to military briefings.
Trump’s crackdown on the media extends beyond lawsuits and regulatory pressure, with wider implications for press freedom. “Each settlement weakens the democratic freedoms on which these media organizations depend,” said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute. “They create precedents… that will shape the way that judges and the public think about press freedom and its limits.”
The ongoing conflict between Trump and CBS is representative of a larger war between the administration and the media. Through lawsuits, regulatory scrutiny, and direct pressure on news organizations, Trump’s attempts to control media narratives are becoming more intense.
