President Donald Trump bitterly attacked “60 Minutes” shortly after the CBS newsmagazine broadcast stories on Ukraine and Greenland on Sunday, saying the network was out of control and should “pay a big price” for going after him.
“Almost every week, 60 Minutes ... mentions the name TRUMP' in a derogatory and defamatory way, but this Weekend's BROADCAST' tops them all,” the president said on his Truth Social platform. He called on Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to impose maximum fines and punishment “for their unlawful and illegal behaviour.”
The network had no immediate comment. Trump has an ongoing $20 billion lawsuit against “60 Minutes” for how it edited an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last fall. The president claims it was edited in a way to make Harris look good, something the newscast denies. But there are ongoing reports that Trump's lawyers and CBS' parent company are involved in settlement talks.
Carr and the FCC have launched a parallel investigation of CBS News about the same case, one of several that it has undergone that also involve ABC News, NBC, PBS, NPR and the Walt Disney Co.Despite the legal battle, “60 Minutes” has been unstinting in its coverage of Trump's administration since he took office for a second term, particularly correspondent Scott Pelley. He travelled to Ukraine to conduct an interview with that country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the site of a Russian attack where nine children were killed earlier this month.
In the interview broadcast on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he has “100%” hatred for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine, and invited Trump to visit his country to see what has been done. Also Sunday, correspondent Jon Wertheim reported from Greenland on what some people in that nation are saying about Trump's desire to take control.In his social media message, Trump said “60 Minutes” was no longer a news show but “a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as News,' and must be responsible for what they have done, and are doing."
Volley of lawsuits
Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS is the most recent legal offensive in his longstanding feud against major media outlets over the years, primarily alleging defamation and bias. In 2022, Trump slapped CNN with a $475 million lawsuit for defamation as the network had called his election fraud claims the “Big Lie” and allegedly compared him to Adolf Hitler. A judge dismissed the case in 2023, ruling the statements were protected opinions.
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, also landed up in court after Donald Trump accused the tech giants of censorship after his bans from their platforms following the January 6 Capitol riot. These cases were dismissed as well.
In 2023, Trump sued journalist Bob Woodward and publisher Simon & Schuster, claiming unauthorized use of his recorded interviews in an audiobook. The case centred on alleged commercial exploitation of the content.
Publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post invited Trump’s wrath as well over articles implying connections between his 2016 campaign and Russian interference. The Times case was dismissed and he was ordered to pay back the legal cost incurred by NYT. However, the $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit against the Washington Post, is ongoing.
Overall, Trump’s legal actions target media entities he accuses of spreading misinformation or silencing conservative voices, though most have been dismissed or are considered legally weak due to press protections under the First Amendment.
