'We'll Sue': White House's Warning to CBS Is Sign of a New Media Status Quo

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Last edited Sat Jan 17, 2026, 07:49 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: New York Times

media memo

'We'll Sue': White House's Warning to CBS Is Sign of a New Media Status Quo

In previously unreported remarks, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News that Mr. Trump would "sue" the news outlet if it did not air an interview unedited


Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, at a briefing at the White House on Thursday. Kenny Holston/The New York Times

By Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin
Jan. 17, 2026, 3:51 p.m. ET

It was an aside, caught on camera, that said a lot about the uneasy business of conducting journalism today. ... Moments after President Trump finished taping a 13-minute interview on Tuesday with the "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, approached Mr. Dokoupil and his colleagues to convey a message from the president.

"He said, 'Make sure you guys don't cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full," Ms. Leavitt said in an even tone, according to a recording of the exchange obtained by The New York Times. ... "Yeah, we're doing it, yeah," Mr. Dokoupil responded. ...Ms. Leavitt replied: "He said, 'If it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off.'"

Karoline Leavitt Exchange With CBS News
Listen 29 seconds

{snip}

When Mr. Dokoupil’s interview with the president aired in full that night on the “CBS Evening News,” it included questions about grocery prices, Iran, the immigration crackdown in Minnesota and other topics. It concluded with Mr. Trump mocking the anchor, who started his new CBS job this month. ... Boasting about his economic policies, the president told Mr. Dokoupil that the anchor “wouldn’t have a job right now” if Kamala Harris had won the 2024 election.

At the interview's end, Mr. Dokoupil circled back to the subject. "For the record," he told Mr. Trump, "I do think I'd have this job even if the other guys won." ... "Yeah," Mr. Trump replied. "But at a lesser salary."

Michael M. Grynbaum writes about the intersection of media, politics and culture. He has been a media correspondent at The Times since 2016.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-m-grynbaum

Benjamin Mullin reports for The Times on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact him securely on Signal at [phone] or at [e-mail].
https://www.nytimes.com/by/benjamin-mullin

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/business/media/cbs-news-trump-interview.html

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That honeymoon didn't last long.

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Reposted by Mike Masnick
https://bsky.app/profile/mmasnick.bsky.social

The fact that CBS didn’t report this incident tells you everything.

— Casey Seiler (@caseyseiler.bsky.social) 2026-01-17T21:33:39.222Z

********
Casey Seiler
‪@caseyseiler.bsky.social‬

The fact that CBS didn't report this incident tells you everything.

‪Jon Passantino‬
‪@passantino.bsky.social‬
· 3h
NYT publishes audio of Karoline Leavitt threatening CBS over its Trump interview: "He said, 'If it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off.'" www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/b...

'We'll Sue': White House's Warning to CBS Is Sign of a New Media Status Quo
www.nytimes.com
4:33 PM · Jan 17, 2026
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NYT publishes audio of Karoline Leavitt threatening CBS over its Trump interview: “He said, ‘If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.’” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/b...

— Jon Passantino (@passantino.bsky.social) 2026-01-17T21:01:40.207Z

********

Jon Passantino
‪@passantino.bsky.social‬

NYT publishes audio of Karoline Leavitt threatening CBS over its Trump interview: "He said, 'If it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off.'" www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/b...

'We'll Sue': White House's Warning to CBS Is Sign of a New Media Status Quo
www.nytimes.com
4:01 PM · Jan 17, 2026
********

“Oh, great, OK!” Kim Harvey, the “CBS Evening News” executive producer, replied — and Mr. Dokoupil quickly turned to humor. “He always says that!”
Ms. Leavitt did not laugh.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/b...

— Jon Passantino (@passantino.bsky.social) 2026-01-17T21:11:24.155Z

********
Jon Passantino
‪@passantino.bsky.social‬

"Oh, great, OK!" Kim Harvey, the "CBS Evening News" executive producer, replied -- and Mr. Dokoupil quickly turned to humor. "He always says that!"
Ms. Leavitt did not laugh.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/17/business/media/cbs-news-trump-interview.html

'We'll Sue': White House's Warning to CBS Is Sign of a New Media Status Quo
www.nytimes.com
4:11 PM · Jan 17, 2026
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[PatSeg]

1. The response should be

"Okay, we'll just not air it at all."

[LiberalArkie]

5. And we will air all the Epstein victims stories.

[Lovie777]

2. Sue, sue, sue, sue, sue, sue..................................

[creon]

3. make it so

See you in court

[erronis]

7. With discovery. He'll back down.

[creon]

8. yes he will

Litlle Mr Taco

[creon]

11. probably

[Prairie Gates]

4. Stop interviewing him. It is damaging to shareholders to continue to interact with

such a litigious person.

[erronis]

6. He'll sue if you don't interview him. You know "free speech" and all that.

[FakeNoose]

15. That's why they sold their souls to the devil

... so they could have access. It hardly seems worth it now.

[slightlv]

9. give in to bullies,

and expect to be bullied forever... especially if you're dealing with someone with the Dark Triad syndrome! These people will never learn. They think because they're so rich and give so much of that money to trump already, that nothing could possibly happen to them. As transactional as each one of them probably are, they can't wrap their head around the dictatorial transactionality of trump.

[mdbl]

10. CBS has made themselves as disgusting as Dump.

Don't watch anything Paramount, and I miss Star Trek. I wish they would sell that franchise to a company that is owned by somoene with a few morals and ethics.

[Marie Marie]

12. Don't worry Karoline. Barri Weiss will take care of your Daddy.

Don't you just love how "tough" all these sycophants are with Trump firmly behind them. Until he isn't. Ask MTG

[Grins]

13. "He said, 'If it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off.'"

The man is pure poetry….

[jls4561]

14. But edit out the drooling and farting.