President Donald Trump has targeted CBS and its flagship “60 Minutes” program with a social media post, accusing the network of “the biggest Broadcasting SCANDAL in History!!!” over alleged deceptive editing of a pre-election interview with Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent last year.
“CBS should lose its license, and the cheaters at 60 Minutes should all be thrown out, and this disreputable “NEWS” show should be immediately terminated,” Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social platform.
“With the new Democrat scandal that just arose with respect to USAID illegally paying large sums of money to Politico and other media outlets, the question must me asked, was CBS paid for committing this FRAUD?” Trump added, threatening, “Many other questions to come!”
Also Read: Trump Administration Delays Suspension Of Duty-Free Imports From China Under De Minimis Rule
Trump’s claims that CBS manipulated the interview sparked immediate backlash, with the network and its legal team dismissing the accusations as meritless, the Financial Times reports.
The controversy has added fuel to Trump’s longstanding animosity towards the press, which he has repeatedly labeled as “fake news” and “enemies of the people.”
This time, however, he has escalated his attack by leveraging lawsuits and regulatory threats aimed at crippling critical media organizations financially and operationally.
Experts believe this could be part of a broader strategy to force news outlets into more favorable coverage, or risk facing penalties and restrictions, Financial Times adds.
At the heart of this showdown is CBS’s decision on whether to settle the lawsuit or stand firm against the Trump administration’s pressures.
Legal experts have dismissed the case as baseless, yet there’s internal division at CBS, with some staff members urging the network to resist yielding to presidential demands.
CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA), is currently in the process of finalizing a multi-billion-dollar sale to Skydance, and Trump’s allies, like Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, are reviewing the 60 Minutes interview in connection with that deal, Financial Times adds.
These tensions underscore a wider trend, as traditional media outlets face increasing financial pressure with declining viewership, while Trump bolsters conservative media and alternative outlets.
Read Next:
Image: Shutterstock
