President Trump has publicly rejected suggestions he is close to CBS's new owners, saying 60 Minutes has treated him worse since the Paramount-Skydance takeover. The dispute follows a settled $16 million lawsuit over an October 2024 Kamala Harris segment and continued concerns about editorial choices after a heavily edited Trump interview. Trump welcomed some leadership changes earlier but now says his patience is wearing thin after recent coverage, including an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. He also commented on industry consolidation, saying he is watching bids among major media companies and wants to see new ownership at CNN.
Trump Says '60 Minutes' Worsened Since Paramount-Skydance Takeover, Slams New CBS Management
Anna Moneymaker / Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
President Donald Trump pushed back on suggestions that he is close to CBS's new ownership, arguing that the flagship newsmagazine 60 Minutes has treated him worse since the Paramount-Skydance takeover. In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized recent coverage and questioned the motives of the network under its new leadership.
Claims and Context
Trump, 79, publicly distanced himself from the wealthy Ellison family and other executives associated with Paramount-Skydance, the parent company of CBS News and 60 Minutes. He wrote that "60 Minutes has treated me far worse since the so-called 'takeover' than they have ever treated me before," adding, "If they are friends, I'd hate to see my enemies!" CBS News and Paramount did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
President Donald Trump threw yet another Truth Social tantrum about 60 Minutes on Tuesday. / Donald Trump on Truth Social
Background: Lawsuit and Ownership Changes
The dispute follows a high-profile legal fight over an October 2024 60 Minutes segment with Vice President Kamala Harris; Paramount agreed to pay Trump $16 million to settle his lawsuit claiming the episode was unfairly edited. After the August closing of the Paramount-Skydance Media merger, David Ellison, 42, assumed a leadership role at CBS, and Trump initially expressed optimism that the Ellison family — including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, 81 — would "revitalize" the network.
Interview Edits and Editorial Concerns
Following a 90-minute sit-down with Norah O'Donnell, CBS aired a 28-minute broadcast edit and later posted a longer 73-minute version online. A full transcript revealed that the network omitted a tense exchange between Trump and O'Donnell about his pardon of a crypto billionaire, which Trump and his allies highlighted as an example of unfair editing.
Paramount Skydance's David Ellison is the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. / Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty
Personnel Moves and Political Ties
Paramount installed Kenneth Weinstein as ombudsman for CBS News in September; Weinstein was previously nominated by Trump as ambassador to Japan in 2020, though that nomination lapsed without Senate confirmation. Trump also signaled guarded approval for Bari Weiss, the founder of The Free Press, who was named editor-in-chief of CBS in October.
Recent Flashpoints
Trump's goodwill appears to be fraying partly after 60 Minutes aired an interview with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene following her split from mainstream MAGA circles. On Truth Social he wrote that the new ownership "ARE NO BETTER THAN THE OLD OWNERSHIP, who just paid me millions of Dollars for FAKE REPORTING... Since they bought it, 60 Minutes has actually gotten WORSE!"
Trump lashed out after 60 Minutes interviewed Marjorie Taylor Greene. / Donald Trump on Truth Social
Media Consolidation Remarks
Trump also commented on the broader media landscape, saying he was watching bids among companies such as Netflix and Paramount in the Warner Bros. Discovery asset sales. He said he is "neutral" in the bidding war but emphasized he wants to see changes at other outlets, including new ownership at CNN.
“I know the companies very well. I know what they're doing, but I have to see... I just want to do what's right. It's so very important to do what's right.”
What this means: The exchange highlights tensions between a former president and the news organizations that cover him, while underscoring how recent ownership and editorial changes at legacy media outlets are shaping political narratives and disputes over fairness and transparency.
