President Donald Trump has demanded the termination of CBS’ long-standing news program, “60 Minutes,” accusing it of fraud and election interference. Trump aired his grievances on his Truth Social platform, where he suggested that CBS should be stripped of its license and the show’s producers dismissed. This intensification of his previous complaints comes after Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against CBS over an interview with Former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump accuses “60 Minutes” of manipulating Harris’ interview to portray her in a positive light, which, he alleges, impacted the election. His claims trace back to the show airing a different segment of Harris’ answer concerning Israel in its preview than in its final broadcast. Trump and his followers argue that the altered version concealed her struggle to express a clear stance. CBS has refuted the claims, asserting that its editing process is a standard journalistic procedure.
In retaliation to Trump’s lawsuit, CBS publicized the unaltered transcript of Harris’ interview, affirming that the broadcast wasn’t manipulated or misleading. The network stressed that journalists habitually edit interviews for clarity and to meet time restrictions. Despite CBS’s justification, its parent company, Paramount Global, is rumored to be in settlement discussions as it seeks regulatory consent for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Brendan Carr, supported Trump’s allegations and demanded that CBS deliver full transcripts and interview footage. CBS acquiesced and later disclosed the documents to the public. In a Fox News interview, Carr, a Trump associate, stated there was clear proof 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 scrutinize CBS has been condemned by some, including Democratic Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, who labeled the investigation part of a more extensive political plan.
Trump’s media crusade extends past “60 Minutes,” amplifying unproven allegations that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) illicitly channeled money to news networks, including Politico. Trump and his allies claim that USAID provided $8 million in illegal payments, but Politico has refuted these allegations.
Records indicate that only two payments from USAID, totaling less than $43,000, were made for Politico’s subscription services in 2023 and 2024. Politico insists that it has never received government funding or subsidies.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump’s assertions, stating that USAID’s spending on Politico will be halted. The Washington Post reported that USAID’s payments were part of standard government subscriptions to Politico Pro, a specialized news service policymakers use. Critics argue that Trump’s claims misinterpret routine government expenditures.
The disputes involving CBS and Politico are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to challenge significant media organizations. Under Carr, the FCC has reopened investigations into ABC and NBC while excluding Fox News from similar scrutiny. Additionally, the administration has been pressuring media outlets through legal and regulatory means.
Trump’s allies have also focused on public broadcasting. FCC inquiries into NPR and PBS suggest their corporate sponsorship messages mirror commercials, potentially endangering federal funding.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has requested public broadcasting executives to testify before Congress on allegations of bias.
Meanwhile, Trump continues legal action against Gannett’s Des Moines Register for allegedly inaccurate election polling and the Pulitzer Prize committee over awards given for reporting on Trump’s ties to Russia. Settlements in past cases have included payments from media companies such as ABC News and Meta to Trump.
Paramount executives, facing regulatory obstacles in their Skydance Media merger, appear inclined to settle Trump’s lawsuit. However, leaders at CBS News, including “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens and network President Wendy McMahon, have resisted issuing an apology or making a concession.
As these conflicts played out, the administration also altered press access at the Pentagon, replacing Politico, NPR, The New York Times, and NBC News with outlets like the New York Post and Breitbart. Though no credentials were revoked, the change restricts these organizations’ direct access to military briefings.
Trump’s media crackdown stretches beyond lawsuits and regulatory pressure, with broader 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 how judges and the public think about press freedom and its limits.”
The ongoing feud between Trump and CBS exemplifies a more extensive battle between the administration and the media. Through litigation, regulatory investigations, and direct pressure on news organizations, Trump’s attempts to control media narratives continue to escalate.