‘60 Minutes’ Reporter Lesley Stahl Blasts CBS Bosses Over Trump Lawsuit
Veteran 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl has spoken out about the ongoing lawsuit against CBS by President Donald Trump, expressing her concerns over how her network bosses are handling the situation.
Appearing on The New Yorker Radio Hour on Friday (May 30), Stahl touched on the recent resignations of longtime 60 Minutes producer Bill Owens and CBS News president Wendy McMahon. She also said she was “angry” with Paramount Global chairwoman Shari Redstone’s approach to the Trump lawsuit.
“To have a news organization come under corporate pressure—to have a news organization told by a corporation, ‘do this, do that with your story, change this, change that, don’t run that piece.’ I mean, it steps on the First Amendment, it steps on the freedom of the press,” Stahl said, per Fox News Digital. “It steps on what we stand for. It makes me question whether any corporation should own a news operation. It is very disconcerting.”
Owens stepped down as 60 Minutes producer in April, citing an increasing lack of ability “to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.”
Trump is suing CBS News for what he claims was biased reporting on 60 Minutes, specifically an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump alleges was edited in a way to mislead voters in the 2024 presidential election. Paramount Global, the parent of CBS News, is looking to merge with Skydance Media, a deal that reportedly requires the green light from federal regulators under the Trump administration.
Stahl, who described Trump’s lawsuit as “frivolous”, revealed there were talks of a mass staff walkout following Owens’ departure. However, she noted how Owens urged his former colleagues not to quit on his behalf. “He explicitly asked us not to resign,” she shared.
“The pain in my heart is that the public does not appreciate the importance of a free and strong and tough press in our democracy,” Stahl continued. “Even the Founding Fathers recognized that we need to have a strong fourth estate to hold our elected officials accountable, and to continue to cleanse the system. The public doesn’t seem to want what we do to be part of our public life.”
Stahl said she believes Paramount will ultimately settle with Trump; the President reportedly recently rejected a $15 million settlement. However, she admitted that she is “already beginning to think about mourning, grieving” for what the future might hold for 60 Minutes.
“We will hopefully still be around, turning a new page and finding out what that new page is going to look like,” she stated.
60 Minutes, Sundays, 7/6 c, CBS
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I think Lesley Stahl and 60 minutes is the most honest new programs on TV. Right now the major networks are beholden to the current administration for approvals of big money mergers, so the CEO's are trying to tone down what is honest coverage of the lying and unconstitutional behavior of the current administration. Money has taken hold of everything including the news, so moneyed interests have way too much power.
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So if what you say is true that means the networks lie More than what You claim the admin. is doing there for making Them hypocrites ( sort of like You). And not worthy of trust. Course I’m sure you believed every single word of the former admin. You know the admin. that gave out a bunch of preemptive pardons because they were innocent of any wrong doing. Yeah That admin. 🙄
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You mean dishonest news program.
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I have been a fan of 60 Minutes my entire adult life. My husband automatically puts it on after the National news. I think Leslie Stahl and Scott Pelly have called it on the button. We are in danger of hearing "canned" and "controlled" news. Thank you, thank you and thank you again for bringing true journalism as I understood it to be into my home for 50+ years.
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Lying dishonest mainstream media is biased against Trump and Republicans. So glad Trump sued CBS and he won! All Democrats suffer from TDS.
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There is no “fake” news, snowflake. Something isn’t fake just because you don’t like it.
It’s sad that you’re so willing to dismiss nearly 100 years of journalistic integrity from so many reputable outlets because your heart is filled with hate and because you so badly want to blame others for you shitty lot in life.
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There is a difference between "Freedom of Speech" and the truth. CBS is/was being sued for untrue things they said
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With The release of formerly classified “Russia-gate” documents by Tulsi Gabbard, we now have a smoking gun and evidence that the whole thing was not just a hoax, but a coup that the media was complicit in promoting. The mainstream media has lost ALL credibility with the public. THEY are the ones responsible for the shredding of the 1st Amendment. They did it willingly and deliberately. They SHOULD go out of business
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You’re joking right???
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“The pain in my heart is that the public does not appreciate the importance of a free and strong and tough press in our democracy,” Stahl continued. “Even the Founding Fathers recognized that we need to have a strong fourth estate to hold our elected officials accountable…” what Leslie left out was that the strong and tough press only applies when they’re facing the those who don’t share their political beliefs. She was once a talented journalist, but no more. View her last interview with Trump. He was right, she was wrong and she was never accountable.
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Let's see those Epstein Files. MAGA is shredding every Amendment. MAGA is the cancer of America.
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You mean the Jan 6th terrorists? Yeah .. okay, whatever.
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Are you serious? Youtube her Trump interview. Jesus Christ man. Open your eyes to reality.
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What a joke. The press has been the propaganda arm of the socialist movement in this country for decades. They dont even try to hide it anymore. Many of the main street media proudly boasts of trying to vilify Conservatives. Where was she when the press chose to hide the Hunter Biden laptop? Where was she when Biden was being hidden with dementia? Where was she when social media admittedly censored conservative thought? Where was she when Dems opened the border so they could count illegals and falsify the census data, creating more Dem representatives? How does she justify Colbert, Kimmel, Maddow, Goldberg, Behar, Hoskins, Reid, Etc. who have replaced entertainment with political assaults. They are nothing but political attack dogs. She has been spitting on the Constitution for years. The reason she, and others, are so vocal is they are being exposed and that terrifies them.
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This Is the most honest and fair comment on here !!
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Sorry you feel that way. 60 minutes is one of the best news programs there is. It’s longevity is a testament to that.
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Longevity isn’t necessarily a testament of honesty and fairness. They got caught heavily editing an interview with Kamala Harris. They don’t want to fess up publicly YET they are trying to settle out of court on Trump’s lawsuit. If they didn’t have anything to hide there wouldn’t be a Need to settle out of court. Scott Pelley isn’t a journalist in the real sense neither is Lesley, because Both heavily interject their Opinions. That’s not journalism but more like an editorial piece.Their company is the same folks that said Joe Biden was perfectly competent when the whole world could easily see he wasn’t !! Give Brett Bair on Fox or maybe Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino a look and see what you think of them. Now Fox has plenty of Opinion segments to. And they lean conservative where as the shows lean liberal. But Brett in particular calls it like it Is. Bill & Dana pretty much do to. But Brett is pure facts and nothing but the facts and it doesn’t matter Who he’s speaking of and/or interviewing. Scott Pelley just went on a total rant about how much he hates Trump when he (Pelley) spoke at the college graduation. Little facts, Lots of bashing. That’s not news. Fox does the same in the opposite on allot of their segments but their about the only conservative media outlet other than maybe NewsMax. I tried to watch Nora ODonald & Gayle King but they to were heavily opinionated and real left leaning. News ought to be Facts if it’s gonna be called News.
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I heard from someone in news industry that any story can be slanted to get story they want.
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Bot.
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Trump is a liar ... why not just call it out. He's a modern day Hitler. Stop drinking the Jim Jones Koolaid
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Boohoo, first amendment right being trampled, B.S. No one is preventing you from starting your own podcast, a la Tucker Carlson, and covering anything that your heart desires!
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Excuse me but we have been hearing We have been hearing "canned" and "controlled " news for quite some time now this is not a new issue and if you think it is check your facts.
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