Trump’s Ongoing Conflict with the Media
Threatening the news media has become a hallmark of former President Donald J. Trump’s approach to communication. Throughout his political career, he has persistently accused major news organizations of defamation, barred journalists from attending rallies and White House events, and incited his supporters to chant profanities against outlets like CNN. The term “fake news,” which he popularized, has since been adopted by autocrats globally as a means of undermining legitimate journalism.
However, his most recent fixation on punishing television networks for coverage he deems unfavorable marks a notable escalation. Last week, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to state, “CBS should lose its license,” and insisted that “60 Minutes should be immediately taken off the air.” He has reiterated these threats during speeches and interviews, reminiscent of his earlier demands for the revocation of ABC’s license due to dissatisfaction with their portrayal of his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
On Sunday, Trump intensified his rhetoric against CBS, declaring during an interview on Fox News, “We’re going to subpoena their records.” He continued to assert that the network’s editing of Vice President Harris’s recent appearance on 60 Minutes was deceptive and misleading. When questioned if revoking a broadcast license could be considered a “drastic punishment,” Trump evaded a direct answer, instead launching into a series of disparaging remarks about Harris, whom he labeled as “incompetent” and “a Marxist.”
During the 60 Minutes segment that aired on October 7, Vice President Harris was queried about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. An early preview released by CBS a day prior showcased a lengthy response from Harris; however, in the actual broadcast, she appeared to provide a more concise answer.
Trump, who had a contentious interaction with CBS leading up to the airing of the segment and opted not to participate in an interview himself, quickly seized upon the editing of Harris’s responses as proof of media bias favoring her. In response to the accusations made by Trump, 60 Minutes stated on Sunday that the two answers presented were derived from different parts of Harris’s complete response to the question, firmly asserting that Trump’s claims of deceitful editing “are false.”
