White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was recorded threatening legal action against CBS if the network failed to broadcast a presidential interview unedited.

The exchange took place immediately following Donald Trump’s taping of an interview with “CBS Evening News” anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan on Tuesday. The 29 year old press secretary approached Dokoupil off-camera to relay a directive from the commander-in-chief.

Based on audio of the conversation acquired by The New York Times, Leavitt informed them, “He said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full.

“Yeah, we’re doing it, yeah,” Dokoupil replied on the recording, prompting Leavitt to swiftly interject, “He said, ‘If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your a– off.'”.

The startling interaction provided insight into the administration’s dealings with news organizations. Back in 2024, Trump filed suit against CBS regarding edits made to a 60 Minutes segment, reports the Irish Star.

The broadcaster’s parent company ultimately paid $16 million to resolve the dispute.

In the end, CBS broadcast its latest sit-down with the president without alterations, which the broadcaster maintained was always its intention.

“The moment we booked this interview, we made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety,” CBS News stated on Saturday.

Addressing the incident, Leavitt commented, “The American people deserve to watch President Trump’s full interviews, unedited, no cuts. And guess what? The interview ran in full.”

During the CBS interview, Trump addressed Minnesota’s immigration enforcement, escalating tensions with Iran, and the cost of groceries.

Trump ribbed Dokoupil, suggesting to the anchor who assumed his role this month that he “wouldn’t have a job right now” had Kamala Harris prevailed in the 2024 election. Dokoupil responded, saying, “I do think I’d have this job even if the other guys won,” to which Trump countered,.

“Yeah, but at a lesser salary.”

The possibility of legal proceedings against CBS is familiar territory for the current administration. The president has filed lawsuits against multiple news outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and, most recently, the BBC.

Last week, reports emerged that the Department of Justice had executed a search at Washington Post reporter Hannah Nanson’s residence and confiscated her laptops and other equipment.

Leavitt also demonstrated her authority during a press briefing this week, declining to respond to an Irish journalist’s question and branding him a “left-wing hack” during a tense confrontation.

“You and the people in the media who have such biases but fake like you’re a journalist, you shouldn’t even be sitting in that seat. But you’re pretending like you’re a journalist, but you’re a left-wing activist,” Leavitt stated.