This time it’s The New York Times trying to turn a brief, offhand remark after an interview with President Donald Trump into something sinister. The paper obtained audio of a post-interview moment between CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil and Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt—and what was clearly a tongue-in-cheek exchange has now been dressed up by the Times as some kind of dark, authoritarian command.
Here’s what really happened: Trump had just finished a sit-down interview with CBS in Michigan. According to the Times, Leavitt relayed that Trump told the network, “Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full.” Then she jokingly added, “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your a– off.” Dokoupil reportedly laughed and responded, “He always says that!” even joking back, while the CBS Evening News executive producer chimed in with a light-hearted, “Oh, great, OK!”
In other words: friendly banter, the kind that happens all the time behind the scenes. But the Times saw something else—something nefarious, apparently. They went with a framing that painted the whole thing as an attempt to “dictate to the media” and pressure CBS into submission.
Let’s get real: CBS already intended to release the full interview. There was no threat, no lawsuit, no actual pressure. It’s not a conspiracy—it’s common sense. In fact, after years of selective editing by legacy media outlets, the Trump team’s caution is entirely justified. CBS, to their credit, didn’t flinch. But instead of praising transparency, the Times ran with the narrative that Leavitt was issuing orders like a dictator’s enforcer.
JUST IN: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a blunt warning straight from President Trump to CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil and the network’s team: Air the full, unedited 13-minute interview without cuts — or “we’ll sue your a$$ off.” (Audio of the exchange… pic.twitter.com/9coIkKNJxd
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 17, 2026
What they failed to mention? CBS has a history that does raise questions about editing. Remember the Kamala Harris word salad that mysteriously disappeared mid-campaign? Or the botched 60 Minutes segment on El Salvador’s CECOT prison—pulled only after Trump officials flagged that it didn’t include their response? These aren’t conspiracy theories. These are facts. Even Bari Weiss, now helping steer the ship at CBS News, reportedly pulled that 60 Minutes piece from U.S. broadcast because of those exact concerns. But the Times ignored all that context.
Instead, they blew up a joke, wrapped it in sanctimony, and pushed it as news.
Let’s be honest: Trump doesn’t shy away from interviews—not even with adversarial press. He’s gone toe-to-toe with anchors and reporters who’ve made entire careers out of criticizing him. He doesn’t hide. He doesn’t run. And that’s more than you can say for some current elected officials who demand pre-screened questions or disappear entirely when real journalists come knocking.
So what’s the scandal here? That Trump wants the public to see his interviews unedited? That CBS agreed? That Leavitt repeated one of Trump’s go-to jokes and everyone laughed? The real story here isn’t about Trump or CBS—it’s about the New York Times grasping for outrage and coming up empty.
Turns out, when you try to twist a joke into a scandal, the only one who ends up looking bad is you.
