President Donald Trump and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt launched a verbal attack against CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan during an interview with The Daily Caller on Friday, August 29 calling the “Face the Nation” host “stupid” and “nasty.”
The exchange occurred during an Oval Office interview with Reagan Reese, The Daily Caller’s White House correspondent, when Trump was discussing his grievances with mainstream media coverage of his administration.
Trump initially referenced Brennan without naming her, telling the reporter that the woman on “Face the Nation” performed poorly in her role. When Leavitt provided Brennan’s name, Trump asked his press secretary for her opinion of the CBS anchor.
Leavitt responded with harsh criticism, stating, “She’s stupid. You can put that on the record.” Trump then added that Brennan was nasty, with Leavitt agreeing to his characterization.
The president praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s handling of Brennan during recent interviews, describing Rubio as good and smart. Trump expressed surprise that Rubio continued appearing on “Face the Nation,” citing what he perceived as hostile questioning from the anchor.
The criticism stems from several contentious exchanges between Brennan and Trump administration officials. On August 17 Rubio had a heated confrontation with Brennan over Trump’s anticipated meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders following Trump’s Alaska summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During that interview, Brennan suggested European leaders were concerned Trump might bully Zelenskyy into signing an unfavorable agreement. Rubio forcefully pushed back against this characterization, calling it a stupid media narrative and emphasizing that European leaders were not coming to prevent Zelenskyy from being bullied.
Brennan has faced previous criticism from conservative officials and commentators who allege she exhibits hostility and liberal bias during interviews with Republican guests. In October 2024, House Speaker Mike Johnson complained after “Face the Nation” edited out his comments about President Biden’s response to Hurricane Helene from a pre-taped interview.
The CBS anchor also drew criticism during the 2024 vice presidential debate when she fact-checked Vice President JD Vance despite the network’s previous promise not to engage in real-time fact-checking, while declining to fact-check Governor Tim Walz. In February 2025, Brennan faced additional backlash after criticizing Vance’s comments about free speech rights in Europe by claiming that Nazis weaponized free speech to carry out the Holocaust.
The attacks on Brennan occurred during a broader discussion about CBS News, including Trump’s recent settlement with the network’s parent company, Paramount, over his lawsuit alleging election interference related to a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump also criticized former “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell during the interview, suggesting that 50 percent of women off the street could perform her job equally well. O’Donnell was removed from her anchor position earlier in 2025 as part of cost-cutting measures and now serves as a senior correspondent for the network.
The president also suggested that one of his White House aides, Natalie Harp, could perform better in an anchor role than current CBS personalities. Harp previously worked as an anchor for “One America News” before joining Trump’s team, where she has gained attention for bringing a portable printer to provide Trump with articles and social media posts.
This latest incident reflects Leavitt’s pattern of confrontational rhetoric toward journalists. The 27-year-old press secretary, who made history as the youngest person to hold the position, has previously called reporters derogatory names and revealed tactics used by the White House communications team to discredit media sources.
The criticism comes at a significant time for CBS News, as executives at the network’s new parent company, Skydance Media, have pledged to address longstanding complaints of liberal bias. The company’s chief executive, David Ellison, has expressed a commitment to create programming that appeals to viewers across the political spectrum and has committed to hiring an ombudsman to evaluate bias complaints.
The network continues to face scrutiny over its coverage as it prepares for the upcoming season of “60 Minutes,” scheduled to begin September 28, 2025.
