The traditional media often face criticism for perceived biases, and such scrutiny is not unwarranted.

It’s important to highlight instances where media outlets may not maintain objectivity, as they should be held accountable for any partiality.

Recently, CBS aired an interview conducted by Tony Dokoupil with former President Donald Trump, which has become the subject of discussion.

The New York Times acknowledged that some comments made during the interview were probably intended humorously.

CBS clarified that their plan was always to broadcast the interview in its entirety.

“He said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full,” Leavitt said, according to the audio.

Dokoupil responded, according to recording obtained by The Times, “Yeah, we’re doing it, yeah.”

“He said, ‘If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your a– off,’” Leavitt continued, according to the outlet.

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

The New York Times did note that it was likely meant as a joke. 

The Times reported that some of the CBS staffers present believed the remarks were meant as a joke.

Dokoupil responded to Leavitt with humor and said, “He always says that!”

Kim Harvey, executive producer of “CBS Evening News,” was heard saying, “Oh, great, OK!”

CBS said they always intended to run the full interview. 

But the New York Times was still framing it as an effort to dictate to the media if they “did not obey her orders.”  

It’s a ridiculous take. They don’t care about the fact that CBS has had a history of problematic edits, and that while they’ve now had a change at the top with Bari Weiss, the concern has been a legitimate one. Not only was there the controversial Kamala Harris interview, where one of her word salads was edited during the campaign, but there was the 60 Minutes piece about the CECOT prison in El Salvador that would have run without a current comment from the Trump administration, despite the administration providing a comment. Weiss spiked the piece for that reason, but it did run in Canada.