Audio Shows White House Told CBS Trump Would Sue if Interview Was Edited

Audio published by the New York Times captures the threat, with CBS maintaining it independently chose to air the interview unedited.

Overview

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS staff that the president demanded the segment air in full and said he would sue if it were cut, according to the recording.
The roughly 13‑minute interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil was taped in Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
CBS broadcast the interview in full that night and said airing it unedited was its preexisting editorial decision.
Several CBS employees present took Leavitt’s remark as a joke, according to accounts reported alongside the audio.
The episode follows earlier Trump media clashes, including a 2025 case that ended with a reported $16 million settlement tied to a CBS interview dispute, which news outlets say has encouraged greater caution across major media companies.