CBS News has been warned by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt that the network will be sued if it edits a recent interview with President Donald Trump. In an audio recording obtained by the New York Times, Leavitt threatened the CBS anchor, Tony Dokoupil, saying "if it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off."
The warning comes as tensions between the White House and CBS News continue to escalate, particularly over the role of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Critics have accused her of favoring pro-Trump narratives and undermining editorial independence at the network.
Weiss has been facing intense scrutiny since taking on the position in October, which many see as an attempt by Paramount Skydance, CBS's parent company, to further its influence over the network's content. The same parent company owns Free Press, a conservative media outlet founded by Weiss herself after she left her previous role at the New York Times.
The situation has been marked by controversy and editorial decisions that have raised eyebrows. For example, Weiss pulled a segment from 60 Minutes featuring Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration, citing a lack of response from the White House.
This latest exchange highlights the deepening rift between the White House and CBS News, with Leavitt's warning serving as a stark reminder of the stakes at play. When asked for comment on Saturday, Leavitt insisted that Americans deserve to watch Trump's full interviews without cuts, stating "The American people deserve to watch President Trump's full interviews, unedited, no cuts."
The warning comes as tensions between the White House and CBS News continue to escalate, particularly over the role of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Critics have accused her of favoring pro-Trump narratives and undermining editorial independence at the network.
Weiss has been facing intense scrutiny since taking on the position in October, which many see as an attempt by Paramount Skydance, CBS's parent company, to further its influence over the network's content. The same parent company owns Free Press, a conservative media outlet founded by Weiss herself after she left her previous role at the New York Times.
The situation has been marked by controversy and editorial decisions that have raised eyebrows. For example, Weiss pulled a segment from 60 Minutes featuring Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration, citing a lack of response from the White House.
This latest exchange highlights the deepening rift between the White House and CBS News, with Leavitt's warning serving as a stark reminder of the stakes at play. When asked for comment on Saturday, Leavitt insisted that Americans deserve to watch Trump's full interviews without cuts, stating "The American people deserve to watch President Trump's full interviews, unedited, no cuts."
I'm not surprised though - it sounds like the White House is trying to exert too much control over what we're seeing on TV. as a network, CBS News has a responsibility to their audience to provide balanced reporting, and that includes editing interviews for time constraints.
at the same time, I feel bad for Tony Dokoupil - he's clearly being threatened by the White House, and that's never okay.
. seems like the white house is trying to pull some major strings here and it's not sitting well with alot of ppl. bari weiss needs to do her job without letting her personal connections get in the way 
. this is a big deal, folks... 
. It sounds like Karoline Leavitt is trying to silence Tony Dokoupil and get away with some heavy editing 
. But what's up with Bari Weiss, though? She's clearly getting a lot of flak from her colleagues 
. I'm all for transparency in interviews, but can't we just have a civil discussion about the issues? No need to threaten lawsuits over it 
The whole thing feels super awkward and it's putting everyone on edge. I mean, I get it, they're butting heads over some big issues, but does it really need to escalate into this? It's like, can't we all just agree to disagree without making threats of lawsuits 
... Newsflash: it's not going to work that way 
. Can't they find a better way to resolve their differences? 
. Ultimately, this showdown highlights the need for a more nuanced conversation about media ownership and its impact on the flow of information 
.
. and bari weiss is getting roasted for her new role... i get why people are skeptical about her job choices tho 
. i mean, can't the white house just let cbs news do its job without threatening lawsuits? 
it's so weird when politicians think they can control what gets printed or shown on tv 