“60 Minutes” ran a extremely partisan section likening President Trump to a cold-blooded mob boss Sunday — at the same time as its company father or mother, Paramount International, is presently in talks to settle a $20 billion lawsuit with the Trump administration over election interference.
Correspondent Scott Pelley — who lately accused his bosses at Paramount of proscribing journalistic independence in an astonishing on-air rant– in contrast the manager orders the president has enacted towards a number of regulation companies to how a “mob boss” would use intimidation ways.
“The fact is that these law firms are being told, ‘If you don’t play ball with us, maybe somethin’ really bad will happen to you,’” he stated throughout Sunday night time’s episode.
Pelley additionally sat down with Marc Elias, a longtime rival of Trump and a former Perkins Coie companion employed by the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential marketing campaign, within the one-sided section.
“Donald Trump is the walking embodiment of everything that is wrong with the American political system,” stated Elias, who first crossed paths with Trump whereas part of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential marketing campaign.
“And so when Donald Trump says that I am unethical or that I am undermining his vision of America, I say, ‘Boy I must be doin’ something right.’”
Sunday’s scathing “60 Minutes” section comes as Paramount International is in talks to settle its high-stakes lawsuit with the president.
Attorneys for Paramount and Trump have began mediation to resolve the president’s $20 billion lawsuit towards the community over how “60 Minutes” edited a sit-down with then-Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris final fall.
The talks are additionally happening as Paramount seeks approval of its merger with Skydance from the Federal Communications Fee, which can also be probing the Harris interview for complaints of “news distortion.”
Whereas “60 Minutes” introduced out visitors important of the president, they didn’t function anybody to argue in favor of Trump’s orders towards regulation companies.
Final week, Pelley went rogue on the finish of Sunday night time’s episode throughout what gave the impression to be a easy tribute to Invoice Owens, the longtime “60 Minutes” government producer who stop in April over the corporate’s heavy-handed interference.
“Bill resigned Tuesday — it was hard on him and hard on us,” Pelley stated in his closing remarks on the present he has labored on for greater than 20 years.
“But he did it for us — and you,” he informed viewers, then unexpectedly steered that Owens’ exit may finish the period of protection being “accurate and fair.”
“Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger,” he stated, noting that it wants approval from the Trump administration.
Paramount boss Shari Redstone allegedly had expressed considerations to CBS CEO George Cheeks over segments important of Trump and his insurance policies, asking if this system may wait to run them till after a merger between Paramount and Skydance Media was sealed.
