Tapper Rips CBS Owner for ‘60 Minutes’ Shakeup Amid Trump Pressure: ‘Hope the Money’s Worth It, Shari’

TAPPER In our politics ░░░░░░░░ the executive the executive ░░░░░░░░ of CBS News 60 ░░░░░░░░ Bill Owens resigned today ░░░░░░░░ normally that would probably ░░░░░░░░ be news that we ░░░░░░░░ bring you except the ░░░░░░░░ rise to the level ░░░░░░░░ well alarm Owens said ░░░░░░░░ a letter to his ░░░░░░░░ that Over the past ░░░░░░░░ it has become clear ░░░░░░░░ I would not be ░░░░░░░░ to run the show ░░░░░░░░ I have always run ░░░░░░░░ to make independent decisions ░░░░░░░░ on what was right ░░░░░░░░ 60 Minutes right for ░░░░░░░░ audience And the context ░░░░░░░░ is key because President ░░░░░░░░ has been suing CBS ░░░░░░░░ and its parent company ░░░░░░░░ Global for 20 billion ░░░░░░░░ what the president calls ░░░░░░░░ and illegal behavior though ░░░░░░░░ accusations according to legal ░░░░░░░░ do not withstand scrutiny ░░░░░░░░ is what happened Last ░░░░░░░░ 60 Minutes interviewed Vice ░░░░░░░░ Harris President Trump declined ░░░░░░░░ show s offer to ░░░░░░░░ down with them for ░░░░░░░░ interview During the Harris ░░░░░░░░ 60 Minutes correspondent Bill ░░░░░░░░ asked the then sitting ░░░░░░░░ president why Israeli Prime ░░░░░░░░ Benjamin Netanyahu was not ░░░░░░░░ listening to the Biden ░░░░░░░░ Now a preview of ░░░░░░░░ answer ran in a ░░░░░░░░ clip on CBS Face ░░░░░░░░ Nation on Sunday morning ░░░░░░░░ starts Harris The work ░░░░░░░░ we have done has ░░░░░░░░ in a number of ░░░░░░░░ in that region by ░░░░░░░░ that were very much ░░░░░░░░ by or a result ░░░░░░░░ many things including our ░░░░░░░░ for what needs to ░░░░░░░░ in the region Clip ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER The next day ░░░░░░░░ 60 Minutes ran this ░░░░░░░░ when it ran the ░░░░░░░░ edited interview Clip starts ░░░░░░░░ We are not going ░░░░░░░░ stop pursuing what is ░░░░░░░░ for the United States ░░░░░░░░ be clear about where ░░░░░░░░ stand on the need ░░░░░░░░ this war to end ░░░░░░░░ ends TAPPER Now CBS ░░░░░░░░ explained the discrepancy saying ░░░░░░░░ they merely ran two ░░░░░░░░ parts from the same ░░░░░░░░ answer And under pressure ░░░░░░░░ revealed their transcript and ░░░░░░░░ is indeed what they ░░░░░░░░ as frankly happens all ░░░░░░░░ time including with President ░░░░░░░░ s taped interviews For ░░░░░░░░ just for instance in ░░░░░░░░ of 2024 this ran ░░░░░░░░ FOX Clip starts CAMPOS ░░░░░░░░ Would you declassify the ░░░░░░░░ files Trump Yeah Yeah ░░░░░░░░ would Clip ends TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ firm Yes I would ░░░░░░░░ as Semafor noted at ░░░░░░░░ time the full unedited ░░░░░░░░ featured Trump sounding far ░░░░░░░░ definitive Clip starts CAMPOS ░░░░░░░░ Would you declassify the ░░░░░░░░ files Trump Yeah Yeah ░░░░░░░░ would CAMPOS DUFFY All ░░░░░░░░ Trump I guess I ░░░░░░░░ I think that less ░░░░░░░░ because you know you ░░░░░░░░ t know you don ░░░░░░░░ want to affect people ░░░░░░░░ lives if it s ░░░░░░░░ stuff in there because ░░░░░░░░ s a lot of ░░░░░░░░ stuff with that whole ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends TAPPER The ░░░░░░░░ alleges that editing the ░░░░░░░░ Minutes interview and running ░░░░░░░░ different answers to the ░░░░░░░░ question helped Vice President ░░░░░░░░ and amounted to electoral ░░░░░░░░ In reality this is ░░░░░░░░ editorial discretion Editors do ░░░░░░░░ all the time with ░░░░░░░░ interviews including all the ░░░░░░░░ with taped interviews and ░░░░░░░░ Trump by FOX all ░░░░░░░░ time And legal experts ░░░░░░░░ right and center say ░░░░░░░░ this lawsuit in a ░░░░░░░░ would certainly fail spectacularly ░░░░░░░░ but Paramount Global which ░░░░░░░░ CBS News is currently ░░░░░░░░ to merge with Skydance ░░░░░░░░ and in order to ░░░░░░░░ so they need the ░░░░░░░░ of the Trump Administration ░░░░░░░░ the FCC And under ░░░░░░░░ FCC s brand new ░░░░░░░░ supporting commissioner Brendan Carr ░░░░░░░░ has been suggested that ░░░░░░░░ s news distortion allegations ░░░░░░░░ 60 Minutes will be ░░░░░░░░ by the FCC before ░░░░░░░░ merger is approved Now ░░░░░░░░ Redstone is the majority ░░░░░░░░ of Paramount and she ░░░░░░░░ to make a fortune ░░░░░░░░ this multibillion dollar deal ░░░░░░░░ merger goes through And ░░░░░░░░ seems as if Shari ░░░░░░░░ is likely to bend ░░░░░░░░ knee to Trump and ░░░░░░░░ this allegedly frivolous lawsuit ░░░░░░░░ Bill Owens until today ░░░░░░░░ head of 60 Minutes ░░░░░░░░ believes that 60 Minutes ░░░░░░░░ nothing to apologize for ░░░░░░░░ that s what s ░░░░░░░░ on That s the ░░░░░░░░ One 60 Minutes source ░░░░░░░░ me The lawsuit was ░░░░░░░░ He wouldn t apologize ░░░░░░░░ Bill Bill Owens wouldn ░░░░░░░░ bend He fought for ░░░░░░░░ broadcast and for independent ░░░░░░░░ and that cost him ░░░░░░░░ job It s shameful ░░░░░░░░ second 60 Minute source ░░░░░░░░ me Bill has widespread ░░░░░░░░ at 60 He s ░░░░░░░░ his life to CBS ░░░░░░░░ the broadcast and this ░░░░░░░░ his last act of ░░░░░░░░ to it It s ░░░░░░░░ a guy who has ░░░░░░░░ battling for months against ░░░░░░░░ attack unable to defend ░░░░░░░░ broadcast from inappropriate corporate ░░░░░░░░ He pulls the pin ░░░░░░░░ his last grenade He ░░░░░░░░ himself hoping it might ░░░░░░░░ our corporate overlords wake ░░░░░░░░ and realize they risk ░░░░░░░░ what makes 60 Minutes ░░░░░░░░ It seems clear now ░░░░░░░░ a quest to sell ░░░░░░░░ company Shari Redstone and ░░░░░░░░ will bow to presidential ░░░░░░░░ 60 Minutes is one ░░░░░░░░ the crown jewels of ░░░░░░░░ broadcast journalism and they ░░░░░░░░ no problem crushing it ░░░░░░░░ their race to make ░░░░░░░░ deal and make themselves ░░░░░░░░ Shari Redstone had no ░░░░░░░░ when we reached out ░░░░░░░░ Trump of course has ░░░░░░░░ trying to kneecap anyone ░░░░░░░░ oversight over his administration ░░░░░░░░ literally started his administration ░░░░░░░░ firing a whole bunch ░░░░░░░░ inspectors general He is ░░░░░░░░ ignoring judges in courts ░░░░░░░░ and his MAGA forces ░░░░░░░░ the legislative Branch from ░░░░░░░░ even a peep of ░░░░░░░░ They re going after ░░░░░░░░ firms They re going ░░░░░░░░ universities And this war ░░░░░░░░ the fourth estate journalists ░░░░░░░░ of this piece Owens ░░░░░░░░ not without his critics ░░░░░░░░ course but this is ░░░░░░░░ about one man or ░░░░░░░░ about one show It ░░░░░░░░ about an attempt to ░░░░░░░░ rid of criticism the ░░░░░░░░ has taken the offices ░░░░░░░░ CNN and NBC and ░░░░░░░░ New York Times and ░░░░░░░░ and reassigned them to ░░░░░░░░ that provide more flattering ░░░░░░░░ like Breitbart the White ░░░░░░░░ is doing the same ░░░░░░░░ wire services its war ░░░░░░░░ the Associated Press and ░░░░░░░░ in folks like this ░░░░░░░░ from last Friday Clip ░░░░░░░░ reporter Photos have emerged ░░░░░░░░ Senator Van Hollen sipping ░░░░░░░░ appears to be margaritas ░░░░░░░░ a Abrego Garcia down ░░░░░░░░ El Salvador Do you ░░░░░░░░ other Democrats to fly ░░░░░░░░ to El Salvador to ░░░░░░░░ with this illegal alien ░░░░░░░░ s an accused wife ░░░░░░░░ Trump I like this ░░░░░░░░ See this is this ░░░░░░░░ the kind of a ░░░░░░░░ we like There aren ░░░░░░░░ enough of them Clip ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER That person of ░░░░░░░░ that was asking that ░░░░░░░░ was asking about a ░░░░░░░░ Senator Chris Van Hollen ░░░░░░░░ that those margaritas were ░░░░░░░░ touched They were set ░░░░░░░░ on the table by ░░░░░░░░ working for the president ░░░░░░░░ El Salvador to make ░░░░░░░░ joke of this senator ░░░░░░░░ meeting Those margarita glasses ░░░░░░░░ propaganda and that s ░░░░░░░░ that person asked about ░░░░░░░░ of course that s ░░░░░░░░ kind of reporter that ░░░░░░░░ president likes because that ░░░░░░░░ was not the question ░░░░░░░░ a reporter And that ░░░░░░░░ the context of Shari ░░░░░░░░ s likely bending of ░░░░░░░░ knee Hope the money ░░░░░░░░ worth it, Shari.”