Under Attack

Under attack from Donald Trump, America's premier TV news magazine is on the brink of fading into irrelevancy.

And with it goes one of the grandest, most noble chapters in American journalism history. With it goes a portion of the free press—you know, that institution so honored by our founding fathers that they warned that without it, all other freedoms could be lost.

As 60 Minutes aired the final episode of its 57th season tonight, it whimpered away a more obedient child to Donald Trump, its critical coverage of him having been silenced. For a dozen weeks after Trump's inauguration—every single week for a dozen weeks—60 Minutes held Trump's feet to the fire with stories critical of him and his policies.

Until April 20. Nothing that day. The episode failed to cover the president in that episode. After a string of 12 straight weeks, it went silent.

Two days later, the executive producer, Bill Owens resigned, suggesting his journalistic independence was being ripped away by the owner of CBS, Paramount Global. That's just two days later, and you have to believe the string of coverage of the president closed out because Owens was no longer allowed to speak freely, to report things critical of the state.

April 27 and May 4 witnessed a return to stories about Trump's policies, then silence again. Nothing on May 11, and nothing today, May 18.

Trump has long feuded with CBS. In 2024, he opened a lawsuit alleging that the network edited a Kamala Harris interview to purposely make her look better than she was. His language and demeanor toward the network exploded in April following embarrassing 60 Minutes stories on April 6 and 13. He lashed out, calling CBS "out of control," and guilty of "unlawful and illegal behavior." He warned that CBS should "pay a big price," and called for "maximum fines and punishment."

He turned to the Federal Communications Commision, urging it to revoke the network's broadcast license. Kick it off the air. Silence the scoundrels once and for all.

The FCC's chairman, Brendan Carr, says the matter is still under consideration, so the threat hangs over CBS's head. Carr, though, declines to call it a threat, suggesting it is just a legal penalty.

The FCC is also taking its time on a proposed merger involving CBS. Fodder to get CBS to be submissive and comply? Perhaps. It is wrong for government to wield its power this way. Its decision should not rest on whether the news coverage is favorable towards the government.

If the merger matter borders on blackmail, withholding the merger is a bit of a bribe.

You expect that of Donald Trump, and you get it. It's called corruption, and this administration is full of it.