CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell is set to sit down with President Trump on Sunday for his first interview with the network since suing CBS's parent company over a 2024 "60 Minutes" segment featuring then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The interview, which was filmed at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, marks a rare opportunity for Trump to re-engage with a major broadcast network he has long criticized as part of the "fake news media".
The high-profile sitdown comes just weeks after Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief of CBS News following Paramount's acquisition by Skydance Media. Under her leadership, the network has been vying to steer itself towards a more independent and "trust-first" editorial approach.
O'Donnell's conversation with Trump will cover a range of topics, including his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US relations with Venezuela and Israel, the ongoing government shutdown, and the administration's new immigration and National Guard policies. The interview marks an effort by CBS News to rebuild its relationship with Trump, following a settlement that saw Paramount pay him $16 million to settle allegations of deceptively edited footage in the Harris segment.
However, the timing of the interview is also marked by turmoil within the network. In recent months, CBS News has laid off around 100 employees, including several high-profile correspondents and anchors, as part of a cost-cutting effort aimed at trimming $2 billion in operating costs under Paramount's leadership. The layoffs have sparked allegations of discrimination and internal frustration.
Despite this, Trump appears to be willing to give the network another chance, praising the new CEO David Ellison and his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, as "great people" who "understand fairness". For CBS News, the interview represents an opportunity to re-establish its credibility with a key audience while navigating the complex landscape of post-acquisition restructuring.
The high-profile sitdown comes just weeks after Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief of CBS News following Paramount's acquisition by Skydance Media. Under her leadership, the network has been vying to steer itself towards a more independent and "trust-first" editorial approach.
O'Donnell's conversation with Trump will cover a range of topics, including his recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, US relations with Venezuela and Israel, the ongoing government shutdown, and the administration's new immigration and National Guard policies. The interview marks an effort by CBS News to rebuild its relationship with Trump, following a settlement that saw Paramount pay him $16 million to settle allegations of deceptively edited footage in the Harris segment.
However, the timing of the interview is also marked by turmoil within the network. In recent months, CBS News has laid off around 100 employees, including several high-profile correspondents and anchors, as part of a cost-cutting effort aimed at trimming $2 billion in operating costs under Paramount's leadership. The layoffs have sparked allegations of discrimination and internal frustration.
Despite this, Trump appears to be willing to give the network another chance, praising the new CEO David Ellison and his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, as "great people" who "understand fairness". For CBS News, the interview represents an opportunity to re-establish its credibility with a key audience while navigating the complex landscape of post-acquisition restructuring.
so I'm kinda curious about this interview between Norah O'Donnell and Trump... like, what's the big deal? 
is it just because CBS News changed hands and they wanna be friends with him again? 
or is there more to it? I mean, Trump's been all over the map on a lot of issues, so you'd think he'd have some pretty strong opinions... but does that even translate to TV? 
at least CBS is trying to rebrand itself, but does anyone really care about that when they can just tune in and be done with it? 
. it's like, they're trying to salvage their reputation by giving trump another chance, which kinda feels like a publicity stunt 
.
The more I think about it, the more I'm reminded that credibility is not just about who you interview or what story you tell, but also about how you're perceived by your audience... 