US President Donald Trump has launched a furious attack on 60 Minutes, accusing the CBS news programme of being a “dishonest political operative” after it aired two major reports involving Ukraine and Greenland.
In a fiery Truth Social post on Sunday night, Trump claimed the newsmagazine frequently mentions his name “in a derogatory and defamatory way,” but said this weekend’s broadcast “tops them all.”
The president is currently suing 60 Minutes, CBS, and its parent company Paramount for $20 billion over what he calls “fraudulent” coverage of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris, whom he dubbed a “failed presidential candidate.” Trump alleges the programme altered her responses to boost her image ahead of the election — a claim the network strongly denies.
Despite the lawsuit, 60 Minutes has continued to investigate Trump’s administration in his second term. In Sunday’s episode, correspondent Scott Pelley interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the site of a deadly Russian attack that killed nine children. Zelenskyy told Pelley he feels “100% hatred” towards Russian President Vladimir Putin and invited Trump to visit Ukraine and see the destruction for himself.
Another report by correspondent Jon Wertheim explored Greenland, where locals reacted to Trump’s renewed interest in acquiring the autonomous Danish territory.
In response, Trump said the programme falsely portrayed his administration and called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to impose “maximum fines and punishment” for what he labelled “unlawful and illegal behaviour.” He also praised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and urged the agency to take swift action.
“This is not a news show,” Trump wrote. “It is a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as ‘News’… CBS is out of control and should pay a big price for this.”
Reports indicate the FCC has launched a parallel investigation into the matter. Trump’s legal team is also believed to be in ongoing settlement talks with CBS’ parent company.
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