CBS’ ’60 Minutes’ Shows No Signs of Backing Down in White House Coverage Despite Trump Lawsuit
NEW YORK — In the face of President Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and its flagship program, ’60 Minutes,’ the iconic newsmagazine is holding firm. Since Trump’s inauguration, the program has consistently aired hard-hitting reports critical of the new administration. The legal battle adds a layer of complexity to the show’s operations, yet ’60 Minutes’ appears undeterred in its commitment to journalistic integrity.
The latest episode of ’60 Minutes’, which aired on Sunday, featured a performance by talented middle and high school musicians of diverse backgrounds who had won a competition giving them the opportunity to perform with the U.S. Marine Corps Band. Originally, the concert was canceled because of Trump’s executive order that ended diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Correspondent Scott Pelley has been a central figure, narrating six of the seven stories aired since Trump took office, including the aforementioned segment. These reports have delved into the administration’s policies on Ukraine, tariffs, significant changes within the Justice Department, and the dismissal of government watchdogs. These reports have created some high-profile headlines. Following Pelley’s story on the dismantling of USAID, for example, Elon Musk suggested that “long prison sentences” should be a punishment for those working on the show.
The show is under scrutiny, with many watching to see how it will respond to the unique pressure it faces. The legal action, coupled with an ongoing Federal Communications Commission investigation, has put CBS in a difficult position.
“This may be a lawsuit that is designed to intimidate, but they are clearly making a statement that they will not be intimidated,” said Tom Bettag, a veteran television news producer who worked with Mike Wallace and Morley Safer at ’60 Minutes.’
Pelley has quickly become an area of polarization. “Another week, another ‘60 Minutes’ story trying to discredit Trump policies,” Brent Baker, editor of the conservative media watchdog NewsBusters, wrote on X on Sunday evening.
The lawsuit and the FCC investigation specifically target the editing of an interview conducted last fall by Bill Whitaker with Kamala Harris, Trump’s 2024 opponent. The program utilized two sound bites, which were then broadcast on ’60 Minutes’ and CBS’ ‘Face the Nation.’ CBS stated that Harris had made both comments and that different parts of the long sound bite were used by the two programs.
CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, filed new motions in the past two weeks to dismiss the lawsuit and the FCC probe. However, Shari Redstone, head of Paramount, is reportedly considering a settlement. This is reminiscent of Disney’s $16 million settlement in December to end Trump’s lawsuit against ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. Additionally, Paramount’s prospective merger with Skydance Media necessitates approval from the Trump administration.
Despite these pressures, many at CBS News resist a settlement, maintaining that ’60 Minutes’ did nothing wrong. The show’s executive producer, Bill Owens, told his staff last month that he would not apologize as part of any prospective settlement.
“My precious ‘60 Minutes’ is fighting, quite frankly, for our life,” correspondent Lesley Stahl said earlier this month in accepting a First Amendment award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. “I am so proud of ‘60 Minutes’ that we are standing up and fighting for what is right.”
Bettag believes the show is motivated by the importance of the stories. “The ‘60 Minutes’ people are such committed journalists that they’d consider it foolish to be doing these stories because of what is a frivolous lawsuit,” he said. “The lawsuit pales in comparison with the monumental changes Trump is trying to implement. Those correspondents and producers know that this is a moment that requires their very best work.”
The newsmagazine has, in some instances, adopted a sense of urgency, departing from its more typical, long-term story projects. Pelley’s report on the unfolding situation in Ukraine, for instance, was broadcast mere days after the White House confrontation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Musk’s remarks on X followed Pelley’s February 16th story concerning the billionaire’s involvement in the USAID office’s quick closure. “The world’s richest man had cut off assistance to the world’s poorest families,” Pelley said.
“As he continues to step up his attacks on President Donald Trump and the new administration, Pelley is elbowing aside all others to emerge as Trump’s loudest TV critic,” wrote Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner.
In his reporting, Pelley adopts a deliberate and measured style. When narrating the story on USAID, Pelley noted that “It’s too soon to tell how serious President Trump is in defiance of the Constitution.”
