White House Warns CBS to Air Trump Interview Unedited

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned CBS News officials immediately after President Donald Trump's taped interview with anchor Tony Dokoupil on Tuesday that the president demanded the full segment air without edits, threatening legal action if it did not. The 13-minute exchange, conducted at a Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, was broadcast unedited that evening on CBS Evening News, as the network had planned from the outset.

According to an audio recording of the encounter, Leavitt approached Dokoupil and executive producer Kim Harvey right after the interview wrapped. Relaying Trump's instructions, she stated, "Make sure you guys don't cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full." When Dokoupil assured her, "Yeah, we're doing it, yeah," Leavitt added, "He said, if it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off." Harvey responded, "Oh, great, OK," while Dokoupil replied in a light tone, "He always says that."

In a statement, CBS News emphasized its independent editorial process. "The moment we booked this interview, we made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety," the network said. Officials confirmed the warning did not influence...