'60 Minutes' shows it's not scared off by Trump's lawsuit and threats

“60 Minutes” is not going casual connected President Trump.

The CBS newsmagazine is embroiled successful a ineligible conflict with the president implicit its October interrogation with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump claims was deceptively edited to assistance her statesmanlike campaign. The suit is an obstacle to CBS News genitor Paramount Global’s projected $8 cardinal merchantability to Skydance Media.

But since the suit was filed past fall, “60 Minutes” has remained dogged successful its sum of the Trump administration’s policies. This past Sunday was nary antithetic arsenic analogous Scott Pelley reported connected however Trump is utilizing enforcement orders to people instrumentality firms that helium accuses of “weaponizing” the justness strategy against him.

The orders threatened to barroom attorneys from courthouses and national agencies and cancel authorities contracts held by the instrumentality firms and their clients. Several instrumentality firms agreed to supply escaped ineligible services for initiatives backed by the president to debar the order.

“Targeted firms accidental what the president signed amounted to a firm decease penalty,” Pelley said successful the report.

Marc Elias, a lawyer who successfully fought 1 of Trump’s tribunal challenges of the 2020 predetermination results, told Pelley the White House’s actions are akin to “the mode successful which a mob brag intimidates radical successful the vicinity that helium is seeking to either nonstop extortion wealth from oregon prosecute successful different nefarious conduct.”

Pelley besides spoke with lawyer Brenna Frey, who resigned successful protestation from her erstwhile steadfast Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom aft it chopped a woody with Trump to flight the order.

“I deliberation the connection it sends to the state is, powerfulness is what matters,” Frey said. “If you person power, you tin workout that powerfulness nevertheless you want. And if that’s true, wherefore person a ineligible strategy astatine all? Why person instrumentality firms oregon lawyers astatine all?”

Trump did not station a absorption to the Sunday conception connected Truth Social, wherever successful caller weeks helium has delivered missives blasting “60 Minutes” sum of his administration’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, cuts to the national authorities and the president’s tendency to annex Greenland.

Trump had an different engaged nighttime connected Truth, presenting plans to enactment a 100% tariff connected films made overseas and reopening Alcatraz situation to “house America’s astir ruthless and convulsive Offenders.”

Trump has encouraged his Federal Communications Chief Brendan Carr to punish CBS and its firm genitor implicit his long-running beef with “60 Minutes.”

The contented has besides ratcheted up the unit connected controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, who has pushed for a colony to facilitate Paramount’s merchantability to the household headed by billionaire tech mogul Larry Ellison. Redstone’s evident willingness to appease Trump has sparked crisp protests wrong the company.

Early this year, the president doubled the magnitude of damages helium was seeking successful the “60 Minutes” suit to $20 billion. His ineligible fling attempted to steer the lawsuit distant from 1st Amendment issues and alternatively assertion “60 Minutes” was a fraudulent merchandise that harmed viewers successful Texas.

Paramount’s board, during an April 18 meeting, agreed connected parameters for a imaginable colony with Trump, according to 2 radical acquainted with the discussions who were not authorized to comment.

Vice President Kamala Harris talks to “60 Minutes” analogous Bill Whitaker.

(CBS News)

Bill Owens precocious resigned arsenic enforcement shaper of “60 Minutes,” citing accrued firm unit implicit coverage. Pelley told “60 Minutes” viewers astir Owens’ resignation, noting that journalists had been facing accrued firm oversight due to the fact that of Paramount’s tendency to triumph the Trump administration’s support of the Skydance deal.