White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned CBS News that President Donald Trump would sue the network if it edited his latest interview, according to a report that adds a new layer of tension to the already fraught relationship between Trump and the press.
The warning came moments after Trump wrapped a 13-minute sit-down with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan on Tuesday. Audio obtained by The New York Times captured Leavitt relaying Trump’s demand that the interview air in full.
“He said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full,’” Leavitt told Dokoupil. When he responded that CBS planned to do so, Leavitt added: “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue…”
Several CBS News employees who witnessed the exchange reportedly thought Leavitt was joking. The audio suggests otherwise. Kim Harvey, the program’s executive producer, responded with a stunned, “Oh, great, OK!” Dokoupil attempted to defuse the moment, remarking, “He always says that!” Leavitt, according to the report, did not laugh.
CBS News later confirmed that the threat was unnecessary. A network spokesperson told The Independent that the decision to air the interview unedited had already been made. “The moment we booked this interview, we made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety,” the spokesperson said.
Leavitt confirmed the account. “The American people deserve to watch President Trump’s full interviews, unedited, no cuts,” she said. “And guess what? The interview ran in full.”
The episode is the latest flashpoint in Trump’s long-running war with CBS. The president previously sued the network over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing the show of deceptive editing to benefit Democrats. Paramount, CBS News’ corporate parent at the time, ultimately agreed to a $16 million settlement—an outcome that drew sharp criticism inside and outside the newsroom.
Not long after that settlement, Trump approved a deal allowing Paramount to be sold to Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison. Ellison later tapped opinion writer Bari Weiss to serve as editor-in-chief of CBS News, a move that alarmed many journalists given her lack of broadcast-news experience.
Weiss has since become a lightning rod inside the network. Critics have questioned whether her leadership is nudging CBS toward a more Trump-friendly posture, a claim she has rejected. Her editorial judgment came under renewed scrutiny after she pushed to advance a story about alleged injuries suffered by ICE agent Jonathan Ross following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minnesota—despite internal concerns.
CBS News reported that Trump officials claimed Ross suffered internal bleeding, citing unnamed sources. According to internal emails later obtained by The Guardian, the report sparked skepticism among journalists. Weiss, however, expressed strong interest, and the story moved forward.
Trump has publicly praised Weiss as a “great new leader.” Sources told The Independent that Weiss was on location for Trump’s earlier 60 Minutes interview and introduced herself afterward, with the two exchanging cheek kisses—a moment that only deepened concerns among staff about the network’s independence.
