The White House has warned CBS News it would sue the network if it edited an interview with President Donald Trump, a blunt legal ultimatum that underscores the administration's increasingly aggressive approach to press coverage.
Moments after President Donald Trump's interview with anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan on 13 January 2026, press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned the network that any attempt to edit the footage would result in a massive lawsuit. 'If it's not out in full, we'll sue your a-- off,' Leavitt told CBS staffers, according to leaked audio obtained by The New York Times.
The threat highlights the administration's aggressive new strategy to bypass traditional editorial gatekeeping. While some CBS employees reportedly initially thought the remark was made in jest, the network took no chances, airing the full 13-minute segment later that night.
Leavitt later defended the move, stating that the American people deserve to watch the President's interviews 'unedited' and with 'no cuts'.
The Shadow of Legal War: White House vs CBS
The administration's litigious posture is rooted in a previous battle. Trump recently settled a multi-billion-pound lawsuit against CBS over the alleged 'deceptive' editing of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.
That settlement, tied to the merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, appears to have emboldened the White House to demand total control over how the President is presented on broadcast television.
By securing an unedited broadcast, the White House has effectively turned a standard news interview into a direct-to-consumer platform. This shift undermines the traditional role of news editors, who typically condense hours of footage into the most relevant soundbites.
For the Trump administration, however, any edit is viewed as a potential act of 'election interference' or 'media bias'.
Economic Jabs and the Future of Media Jobs
Beyond the legal threats, the interview itself featured a combative Trump spar with Dokoupil over the 'hottest economy in the world'. In a characteristic display of brinkmanship, the President told the anchor that he would likely be out of a job, or at least earning a 'lesser salary', if the 2024 election had gone the other way.
Trump also pointedly mentioned Dokoupil's new boss, David Ellison, the billionaire owner of Skydance Media, who recently acquired Paramount. 'Your boss, who's an amazing guy, might be bust, OK?' Trump suggested, implying that his administration's economic policies are the only thing keeping the media industry afloat.
Dokoupil maintained his composure, concluding the interview by stating he believed he would still have a job regardless of the election outcome. The President's parting shot, 'Yeah, but at a lesser salary, served as a final reminder of the power dynamics at play. As the administration continues to demand 'unfiltered' airtime, the very foundations of broadcast journalism are being tested by a White House that views an edit as a cause for war.
