President Donald Trump has been unequivocal about attacking the media since he entered the political fray, constantly belittling what he calls the “Failing” New York Times and other media outlets he categorizes as part of the “radical left” liberal media.
[NOTE: Even Fox News, whose support has been crucial to Trump’ would not be President’s electoral success, has been a target of his ire. Unhappy with the network’s coverage of Oprah Winfrey‘s endorsement of Kamala Harris on election day 2024, Trump told reporters: “You know who else should be ashamed of themselves is Fox…everybody thinks Fox is so pro-Trump. They’re not pro-Trump at all.”]
But Trump’s second term has featured far more than just verbal criticism in his effort to undermine the media’s credibility. Trump has escalated his attacks by increasing legal threats against mainstream media outlets, notably winning a multimillion dollar settlement from ABC News in a case that legal experts assert would likely not have survived a courtroom test on first amendment grounds.
Trump is currently suing CBS News, where the venerable 60 Minutes news show is his target for allegedly committing “election interference” when it edited a Harris interview during the 2024 campaign.
The $20 billion lawsuit has already impacted the news division, where CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon announced her resignation Monday, following the resignation of longtime 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens earlier this month.
Experts again generally agree that Trump’s case would have trouble succeeding purely on its merits — but there is a wrinkle where Trump wields power that may help compel capitulation and a settlement anyway. Shari Redstone, the billionaire heiress who runs Paramount (which owns CBS) wants to complete a multibillion merger with fellow media giant Skydance — and the merger requires federal approval.
[NOTE: Redstone is non-executive chairman of Paramount Global where she and her family hold majority voting power over the company and its subsidiaries including CBS, Comedy Central, BET, Showtime Networks, Nickelodeon, MTV and the film studio Paramount Pictures.]
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is now publicly pressuring Redstone to act on principle and defy Trump’s demands, instead of prioritizing corporate pragmatism. Sanders is asking Redstone to fight against Trump and not capitulate in a settlement, which would essentially give Trump a victory over free speech.
Bill Owens, the producer of CBS’s 60 Minutes, resigned in protest.
Wendy McMahon, the head of CBS News, has now resigned.
I say to Shari Redstone: Enough is enough. Do not capitulate to Trump’s attack on a free press. Do not settle Trump’s bogus lawsuit against 60 Minutes.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 19, 2025
Here’s Sanders: “I say to Shari Redstone: Enough is enough. Do not capitulate to Trump’s attack on a free press. Do not settle Trump’s bogus lawsuit against 60 Minutes.”
But Redstone’s principles also must include a fiduciary duty to the shareholders, which complicates matters. The whole showdown is a result of the ostensibly free press being entwined with a decidedly corporate media, and the priorities of the two being non-aligned.