The White House has issued a stern warning to CBS News, threatening legal action if a recent interview with President Donald Trump is edited. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was recorded telling CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil that the administration would “sue your ass off” if the interview was not broadcast in its entirety.
Karoline Leavitt, President Trump’s White House press secretary, directly confronted CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil after an interview with the president. Leavitt conveyed Trump’s explicit instruction: “Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full.” She added a stark warning, “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.”
Dokoupil assured Leavitt that the interview would be aired as requested. The exchange was first reported by The New York Times.
This incident occurs in the context of ongoing scrutiny over CBS News’ editorial independence, particularly under its editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Skydance, previously paid Donald Trump $16 million over its editing of an unrelated interview prior to the 2024 election. Trump had sued, alleging the editing was intended to “confuse, deceive, and mislead the public.” CBS maintained the edits were solely for time, a standard practice in broadcast journalism.
Furthermore, Weiss’s tenure has seen other controversial decisions, including the temporary pull of a “60 Minutes” segment about Venezuelan men deported by the administration. The network cited a lack of response from the Trump administration as a factor in that decision.
CBS News ultimately aired the full, unedited interview with President Trump later that evening. The network issued a statement asserting their original intention: “The moment we booked this interview, we made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety.”
When contacted by The New York Times, Leavitt reiterated the administration’s position, stating, “The American people deserve to watch President Trump’s full interviews, unedited, no cuts.” She concluded by noting, “And guess what? The interview ran in full.”
In the interview itself, President Trump made several notable statements, including strong remarks about potential actions if Iran hangs protesters, criticism of Federal Reserve Chairperson Jerome Powell, and a defense of an ICE agent involved in a fatal shooting.