White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a blunt ultimatum to CBS News that perfectly captures how the Trump administration plans to handle media manipulation: “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.”
Story Highlights
- Leavitt threatened immediate legal action if CBS edited Trump’s 13-minute interview
- The warning came after Trump’s previous $16 million settlement victory against CBS over deceptive editing
- CBS News had already planned to air the interview unedited before the threat was made
- Audio recordings captured stunned CBS employees who initially thought Leavitt was joking
The Moment That Left CBS Speechless
The confrontation unfolded immediately after Trump finished taping his interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan. Leavitt’s threat wasn’t delivered privately through lawyers or backchannels. She looked CBS staff directly in the eye and made Trump’s position crystal clear. Audio obtained by The New York Times revealed the awkward silence that followed, with CBS Evening News executive producer Kim Harvey managing only a surprised “Oh, great, OK!”
Dokoupil attempted to defuse the tension by claiming “He always says that!” but Leavitt didn’t laugh. Her stone-faced delivery sent an unmistakable message that this wasn’t campaign bluster. The Trump administration had already proven its willingness to take CBS to court and win.
CBS Already Learned This Lesson the Hard Way
Leavitt’s threat carried serious weight because Trump had recently secured a $16 million settlement from CBS over their deceptive editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. The network’s parent company, Paramount, paid up after Trump accused CBS of manipulating the interview to favor the Democratic nominee. That victory wasn’t just about money—it established a precedent that mainstream media outlets could be held financially accountable for editorial manipulation.
The settlement sent shockwaves through CBS’s newsroom, where journalists criticized the decision to pay rather than fight. But corporate leadership understood what many in legacy media refuse to acknowledge: the public is tired of selective editing designed to shape narratives rather than report facts. Trump’s legal victory validated concerns that viewers have harbored for years about media bias disguised as journalism.
The New CBS Under Pressure
The timing of Leavitt’s warning is particularly significant given CBS’s recent leadership changes. Following the settlement, Trump approved Paramount’s sale to Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison. Ellison then hired Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press, as editor-in-chief. This appointment alarmed network journalists who questioned Weiss’s lack of broadcast news experience and worried about editorial independence.
Weiss has faced internal resistance, including skepticism over her decision to pursue a controversial story about an ICE agent’s alleged injuries. Critics within CBS wonder whether she’s making the network more Trump-friendly, though Weiss rejects this characterization. The reality is simpler: CBS is learning to practice actual journalism instead of activist reporting disguised as news.
Setting the Standard for Media Accountability
CBS ultimately aired Trump’s interview in full, exactly as they had originally planned. A network spokesperson insisted they had made the “independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety” before Leavitt’s warning. Whether that’s true or not, the result demonstrates how legal accountability can align media behavior with public interest. Viewers deserved to hear Trump’s complete responses, not sound bites crafted to support a predetermined narrative.
Leavitt confirmed the exchange to reporters, stating clearly: “The American people deserve to watch President Trump’s full interviews, unedited, no cuts.” This principle should be uncontroversial, but it represents a radical departure from standard media practice. For decades, networks have used selective editing to frame political coverage, presenting fragments of interviews while claiming to provide complete context.
Sources:
White House threatened to sue CBS if evening news interview was edited – NBC Right Now
