Overview
- The New York Times obtained audio of press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling CBS staff that President Trump wanted his interview aired uncut and warning, “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.”
- CBS broadcast the 13-minute exchange with Tony Dokoupil in full and said it had independently decided in advance to run the interview unedited.
- Leavitt confirmed her remarks and said the American public should see Trump’s interviews without edits, as the White House defended the demand for full airing.
- The confrontation followed Trump’s 2024 lawsuit over a 60 Minutes edit that Paramount resolved with a $16 million payout as it pursued approval for a sale to Skydance.
- The episode has intensified questions about CBS News leadership and editorial judgment, even as some CBS personnel present interpreted Leavitt’s tone as possibly joking during the post-interview exchange in Dearborn, Michigan.