White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned CBS News it could face legal action if it didn’t air President Donald Trump’s interview in full, according to audio obtained by The New York Times. The exchange happened just after Trump finished a taped sit-down with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil earlier this week in Michigan.
On the recording, Leavitt said she was delivering a message directly from the president, urging CBS staff not to edit the segment. “He said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full,’” Leavitt said. Dokoupil replied that the network planned to air it that way. Leavitt then followed with a sharper warning: “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your a– off,” according to the audio.
Several CBS staffers who were present reportedly took the comment as a joke. Dokoupil appeared to play along, responding, “He always says that!” The audio also captured Kim Harvey, executive producer of “CBS Evening News,” reacting to the moment.
CBS News later confirmed the interview aired in full and said the decision was made independently—before Leavitt’s remark. “The moment we booked this interview we made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety,” a CBS News spokesperson said. The full interview was published later that night.
Leavitt defended the White House’s stance afterward, arguing that viewers should see Trump without edits. “The American people deserve to watch President Trump’s full interviews, unedited, no cuts,” she said. “And guess what? The interview ran in full.”
The incident lands amid ongoing friction between Trump and major media outlets, with CBS in particular a frequent target. Trump previously sued the network over a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging misleading edits and election interference. That case was later settled by Paramount, CBS’s parent company, which agreed to pay $16 million toward Trump’s future presidential library.
During the Dokoupil interview, Trump covered both foreign policy and domestic issues, including Iran. He warned the United States would take “very strong action” if the Iranian regime begins executing protesters, signaling a hardline approach as unrest continues.
The conversation also turned tense on the economy. Trump told Dokoupil he “wouldn’t have a job right now” if Harris had won the 2024 election, suggesting the network’s fortunes were tied to his presidency. He also referenced CBS’s ownership, mentioning David Ellison, head of Paramount, and his father, billionaire Larry Ellison.
As the interview wrapped, Dokoupil pushed back, telling Trump he believed he would still be employed regardless of who won the election. Trump responded with a parting joke: it would probably be “at a lesser salary.”
