President Donald Trump erupted on Truth Social yesterday after watching two segments about him on “60 Minutes.” In a series of all-caps, punctuation-heavy posts, Trump claimed the program aired “fraudulent” stories and accused CBS of trying to interfere with elections.
“CBS Fake News” And Claims of Election Rigging
Trump wrote that “almost every week, 60 Minutes… mentions the name ‘TRUMP’ in a derogatory and defamatory way,” but said the Sunday broadcast “tops them all.”
He took issue with two segments—one on Ukraine, and another on Greenland—claiming the stories falsely portrayed his leadership.
“Ukraine… is a war that would never have happened if the 2020 Election had not been RIGGED,” he posted. He went on to claim the segment about Greenland also misrepresented him.
In his posts, Trump announced that he is “so honored to be suing 60 Minutes, CBS Fake News, and Paramount,” accusing them of “fraudulent, beyond recognition, reporting.”
He also called on the Federal Communications Commission to revoke CBS’s license, saying its chairman, Brendan Carr, should “impose the maximum fines and punishment” for what he described as “unlawful and illegal behavior.”
Critics Push Back
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized Trump during a recent speech, saying the president simply can’t handle criticism.
“He now wants to take away CBS’s license because they did a story that criticized him. Oh my word, CBS criticized him! Oh, let’s drive them out of business. How terrible is that?” Sanders said.
“This guy cannot take criticism. He can dish it out all right, but he can’t take it. And I say to Mr. Trump, if you can’t take criticism, get out of the political process. This is a democracy.”
Progressive political commentator David Pakman echoed similar concerns, calling Trump’s response authoritarian.
Pakman argued that Trump often responds to unflattering coverage not by addressing the facts, but by attacking journalists and calling for censorship.
“If he looks bad, it must be fake. If someone criticizes him, it’s a crime, or at least they should have to pay money,” Pakman said.
“This is classic authoritarianism. Strong men don’t refute the press—they delegitimize it.”
Online Reactions Divided
Online, the reactions were mixed. Some users praised Sanders for defending the press. One wrote, “Democracy thrives on dissent, not censorship. Trump’s got a fragile ego, and it’s time to call it out.”
Others backed Trump, repeating claims that CBS edited an old Kamala Harris interview unfairly and should face consequences.
One user posted, “Why don’t you talk about how they changed the interview with Harris? Which was illegal, and they could be fined and removed for that.”
Trump’s outburst reflects a pattern seen throughout his political career: attacking the press instead of addressing the substance of reporting.
It remains to be seen whether Trump will follow through with his lawsuit or whether any regulatory action will occur.
IMAGE CREDIT: “President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks on the Administration’s tariff plans” by Abe McNatt, The White House. Licensed under U.S. Government Work. Image adjusted for layout.