Jan. 18, 2026
Karoline Leavitt Threatens New CBS Evening Anchor in Leaked Audio: “We’ll Sue Your Ass Off”
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RSS Feed Moments after newly installed CBS evening news anchor Tony Dokoupil interviewed President Trump this week, Karoline Leavitt demanded the entire 13 minute interview air, unedited or else. It’s the latest in a string of bad headlines for Dokoupil’s first two weeks on the job, with many questioning just how much influence the administration has on the network and the broadcast.
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00:00:11
Speaker 1: Hey, that folks.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: It is Sunday, January eighteenth, and we have some new leaked audio. Well it sounds sexy, but this leaked audio is really just telling us what we already knew. President Trump likes to threaten the media, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Still interesting. A threat do what I tell you to do, or I will sue you. And CBS News did exactly what they told him to.
00:00:39
Speaker 3: Do, yes, so it was an effective threat.
00:00:41
Speaker 4: I think that's the biggest concern of them all is that, yes, anyone can threaten the administration. And we've seen this with past administrations. Can be unhappy with the press, they can not like what the press has said or done, or how they've edited something. But never before have we had the president threatened to sue, follow up with a lawsuit and then basically exact control because people.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: Know that he will suit.
00:01:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he has won. I don't know if he's won in court, but they was essentially called uncle before they even get to a court room with some of these places. So what we're talking about here now, and look, yes it was. It has been a tough launch for Tony de Copel. Look where Root and form over there at CBS News as the new evening anchor. But it has been a rough stretch. But he's been on this promotional tour. And one of the things CBS Evening News last Tuesday, Robes was the interview with President Trump in Pittsburgh. Got a still planned. I got the right spot. It was in Michigan, in Michigan, Yes, he went to Pittsburgh later, You are right, it was where.
00:01:38
Speaker 1: Do you flip?
00:01:38
Speaker 4: Somebody else was in Detroit that same place. Okay, Yes, that was a headline making stop for the president and for Tony de Cope for a different reason.
00:01:48
Speaker 2: So it was that stop that Tony de Coppel was making. Had an interview with the president. We saw at air, well, what has just come out? And it was just overnight, Was it not Robes that this leaked audio in which Carolyn Levitt made sure CBS News understood that interview needs to air in full or else.
00:02:06
Speaker 4: Yes, So this was and by the way, we watched the whole thing, as you pointed out, air on the broadcast, and it was long, thirteen minute interview. That is long for a morning show that has two hours of content. That is long for just about any broadcast. But for a broadcast, it only has about what twenty one minutes of content?
00:02:26
Speaker 1: You know what they said, nineteen minutes and thirty seconds.
00:02:28
Speaker 3: Okay, night all they get. Wow, Okay.
00:02:30
Speaker 4: So evening news, when you consider it commercial breaks, you only have nineteen minutes and change of content. So imagine for an entire evening news broadcast, thirteen minutes is one interview. And I know it was the president, but still that is an exceptionally long time.
00:02:48
Speaker 3: You basically have no time to tell any other news.
00:02:51
Speaker 2: So the video that's leaked eoxu you mean my video is just audio that's leaked out and has been confirmed.
00:02:57
Speaker 1: So with this it's not a question confirmed. Yes, it's been conferred and proudly we should.
00:03:01
Speaker 2: Say, right, you know what exactly, But go ahead, Robe tell them what this thing said.
00:03:07
Speaker 1: But this is after the interview is essentially conducted to.
00:03:10
Speaker 4: Direct so you know, tapes are still rolling, the cameras are still rolling moments after they finished taping this thirteen minute interview.
00:03:16
Speaker 3: And you hear.
00:03:19
Speaker 4: You hear Carolyn Lovitt go up to Tony de Copple and say, I've got a message from the president. He said, make sure you guys don't cut the tape. Make sure the interview is out in full. That's what Carolyn Levitt says. Then you hear Tony de Copple respond and say, yeah, we're doing it.
00:03:36
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:03:37
Speaker 4: Then Carolyn Levitt replies this. He said, if it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off. Those were some strong words. It's not hey, just please make sure you follow up with your end of the deal or we had a deal, or we made a we you know we had a negotiation.
00:03:55
Speaker 3: Please make sure you uphold your end of it. Please don't edit this. No, there was none of that. If it's not how in full, will sue your ass off. She says this.
00:04:03
Speaker 4: The press secretary says this to the CVS Evening News anchor.
00:04:08
Speaker 3: That is fairly remarkable.
00:04:11
Speaker 1: Are you surprised?
00:04:12
Speaker 3: I shouldn't be, But I am.
00:04:14
Speaker 4: Yes, I still am, because I still can't imagine the press secretary saying that to Walter Cronkite or to I don't know, I'm just thinking about and maybe that stuff did go on, and maybe I'm naive, but I just still think that seems just so unprofessional and gangster and not not the way we've or I have experienced journalism and people in power.
00:04:44
Speaker 1: You know what, good point.
00:04:45
Speaker 2: I have never, in any point in my career ever been threatened in such a way. We've had people say we really need to do this, we'll only do it because of this, or even pissed people off and they say, we don't want to work with you any more.
00:04:58
Speaker 1: Kind of a thing. We never ever have anywhere close to a threat.
00:05:02
Speaker 4: Oh. I've had a publicist be very upset with me that I asked Lindsay Lohan a question that she didn't want me to ask. But look, I think when you go into this career, we have all learned the hard way, but the right way. You don't, as a journalist let anyone tell you editorially what you can or cannot do. Not before an interview, not during an interview, and not after an interview.
00:05:23
Speaker 3: That's just basic journalism. One oh one.
00:05:26
Speaker 4: And someone tells you, I'll give you the interview, but you can't ask me this question, the interview should be off. You say, I can ask you anything. You can answer it however you'd like, Yes, but I have to have the right to ask you any question. I cannot walk into an interview and agree to an interview when a question is off the table that needs to be asked, So that's one on one. But then to have a threat that you can't edit it for time, that you can't edit it for any reason, to let the person you're interviewing have that kind of control, and then have that person be the President of the United States, that's scary stuff.
00:06:01
Speaker 2: So they argue, right CBS that they had made the decision before the interview even took place, that they were going to air it in its entirety, they say on CBS Evening News. And maybe that's the case, so they air claimed CBS News. Their official position is that, yes, you hear this audio, you hear this leaked audio. However, we did not acquiesce to a demand. We had already made this independent decision, and that's possible.
00:06:27
Speaker 4: This is their actual statement that they released the moment we booked this interview. We made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety.
00:06:37
Speaker 3: And like you said, that very well may be true.
00:06:39
Speaker 4: It still doesn't take away what we heard at the end of that video, the audio from Carolyn Levitt and what she said to Tony Dekoppel.
00:06:48
Speaker 2: Why was it necessary because these discussions happen ahead of time. To think it wouldn't have been discussed already that this was going to happen. Why after the fact did that Because clearly wasn't in her head that we had already talked about it and it's going to air in its entirety.
00:07:02
Speaker 3: She it was a friendly reminder.
00:07:05
Speaker 1: Maybe that's what it was. Maybe that's the way to put it, but it's air in its entirety.
00:07:08
Speaker 2: Look and Tony decopple, this is just one more I mean, he's been on this tour. He needs to get back and sit down at the desk and rather get there literally get his feet up under him, because it was a rough stretch. And I know headlines are supposed to be right as long as they're talking about you doing something right. Some will argue, but he has had a misstep after misstep, bad headline after headline, and after all, everybody's talking about him, but they didn't get it didn't result in a bump in their numbers.
00:07:36
Speaker 4: Yes, he's just People say there's no such thing as bad press. I would disagree because this bad press, and he's certainly got a lot of it, has not pushed the needle in any significant way, they're down year to year, and I think there's a slight bump, but it's minuscule from even where they were in December with that strange two male anchor format that they had. They're not even up that much from that point into which isn't saying much at all, we should say. Carolyn Levitt when asked now, by the way, so CBS's.
00:08:06
Speaker 3: Response was, Hey, we were already going to do it.
00:08:08
Speaker 4: But Carolyn Levitt's response when people asked or the media then asked her about getting caught on tape basically, and I don't want to say caught on tape, but certainly she wasn't under the impression she was being recorded and it was going to be released, So yes, I mean, this was not something she was planning on being publicly disseminated. But she had a very interesting response to reporters asking about this leaked audio. She said, the American people deserved to watch President Trump's full interviews, unedited, no cuts, and guess what the interview ran in full?
00:08:44
Speaker 2: People deserve And guess what I mean. She's essentially saying, Yay, my threat worked. Yep, that's exactly what happened. Everything exactly how we planned it.
00:08:56
Speaker 1: I don't know.
00:08:56
Speaker 2: I mean this is people understand this, right, This happens everywhere every day in the industry. Everything you ever watch, there are no almost zero interviews air in their entirety.
00:09:10
Speaker 1: Oh, it's just how it goes.
00:09:12
Speaker 2: You know.
00:09:12
Speaker 4: The only time I've heard people even you know, and look, we understand. Anyone who's been interviewed understands you can get edited and it can sound very different than how you intended it. That is why most people who are concerned about that say, I'll just go on live, because then you can edit it so that I totally understand where they're coming from in that.
00:09:33
Speaker 3: But yeah, time constraints and you.
00:09:35
Speaker 4: Couldn't You could see and you could watch Tony trying to push the president along for timing issues, and the President's not going to do anything he doesn't want to do. He's not going to move on to another topic, and he's not going to be interrupted. So yes, it went on for thirteen minutes. That is almost unheard of to have an unedited interview. And if you did offer that, if that was a part of the negotiation, it usually would go online, like we can give a full unedited version online. So people to go to their website and then watch the full thirteen minute interview, but probably only four minutes of that would have actually aired on a nightly broadcast.
00:10:07
Speaker 2: And they just did this recently with uh Nora O'Donnell. When was that It was a sixty.
00:10:11
Speaker 1: Minutes was it interview they did with him, Yes.
00:10:13
Speaker 2: But she sat down with him for an hour and a half and they only aired and end up twenty five or so minutes of it. And I think they put the whole transcript online.
00:10:20
Speaker 4: But you have to do that, you just that's fair, And I understand why anyone being interviewed the president of the United States, understandable, but anybody I can see why you would want the full transcript to be out for there to be an unedited version available so that if something was taken out of context, you could refer people to the actual interview.
00:10:37
Speaker 3: That's fair and that makes sense.
00:10:39
Speaker 4: But to actually demand the broadcast be the way you wanted to be, that's something altogether different.
00:10:47
Speaker 2: Well, stay here, folks, in case you don't remember, we will remind you exactly why there are sixteen million reasons why CBS News was happy to do exactly what President Trump told them. They had to do. Also will take a look back at the launch that was for Tony. All right, we continue here on Amy and TJ and Robes. We full disclosure. We do this too often. I forget what I tease, and then I forget what to talk about after the break. So I just teased two things. Yes, one was what was the other one?
00:11:30
Speaker 4: You teased that Tony de Copple had a rough launch, and then you also tease, oh wait, wait, we do this.
00:11:40
Speaker 1: All the time. Forgive us, forgive us, forgive us. Sometimes we're jotting me.
00:11:43
Speaker 3: Also that there were sixteen million reasons boom.
00:11:46
Speaker 1: There is why.
00:11:47
Speaker 4: Yes, the news organizations listen when President Trump threatens action.
00:11:52
Speaker 2: And look, yes, folks remember this. The President has sued a bunch of news agencies and a bunch of things, essentially the biggest ones on the planet for the most part, and he has He hasn't won in court, but he has won before even going to court. Sixteen million from ABC and sixteen million from CBS, in particular sixty minutes having to do with an interview and how it was edited with Kamala Harris.
00:12:13
Speaker 1: Now we moved to this.
00:12:16
Speaker 2: He's essentially telling them again what they need to do with an interview that they taped.
00:12:21
Speaker 4: Or will sue your ass off. And look I was reading. Obviously a lot of media outlets have reacted to this leak, and the New York Times said this and this is actually reminded me of what you just said before the break not long ago. The notion of a White House press secretary casually threatening a lawsuit if a journalist does not obey her orders would be shocking not long ago being the operative phrase there.
00:12:48
Speaker 3: But yeah, it would have been unheard.
00:12:51
Speaker 2: Of, new standard. It's totally new standard. And yeah, this doesn't you know, you and I and again full disclosure here. Let's just see how the sausage is made a little bit back here. But Rose and I debated about doing this episode. It was a no brainer to you, and it may that makes sense for me. I'm like, yeah, this is not surprising. This is how they roll. Why is this news that we have become as a country almost getting gotten to that.
00:13:15
Speaker 3: Pop desensitized to what they do. But this is a big deal. This, This should be sure. I agree, this should be outrageous.
00:13:24
Speaker 4: We should all be saying, how in the hell is this happening in the United States? Of America, where we all know that having a free press is a cornerstone to having a free nation period period.
00:13:37
Speaker 2: But only if you act right. Oh, we will see your asses off. I mean, you're right, baby, that's that. I just fell victim to it. Like, eh, it's a not a big deals. Just how they roll is breath. It's not the biggest threat they're going to make this week. Did you know they're trying to take Greenland?
00:13:52
Speaker 4: Oh?
00:13:52
Speaker 3: My goodness.
00:13:53
Speaker 4: And look when it comes to Tony Dkoppole's rough two weeks, most of it has had to do with the leanings of this broadcast now and who is in charge of this broadcast, and who is writing some of this copy and how is it being presented. It's definitely raised the eyebrows of just about everybody.
00:14:17
Speaker 2: Oh that's the direction they want to go, and that's fine, And I am still waiting. It's been two weeks, right, two full weeks.
00:14:23
Speaker 1: Outside of two weeks.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I still want to give it a shot. I'm not sure where they're going what they want to do, and maybe they're not sure either, but I'm I'm willing to listen and give it a shot and give it a try. I am giving Evening news a try right now. For the first time in years, I haven't been an evening news watcher. So now I'm I'm coming back into and trying to see something new, and I haven't seen anything new necessarily. I'm not sure what they're trying to be. He's done some editorial things that.
00:14:50
Speaker 3: Are He's cried multiple times in two weeks on the air.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: Look, I've cried plenty on TV.
00:14:56
Speaker 4: Sure about your lost childhood in Miami. I mean, I just there were some moments where it just felt forced. And I'm not trying to say that he wasn't being authentic, but there were still choices made when you look at the tape and decide what to air and what to present, and it does feel a little manufactured, and I think people see through that, and that's part of the problem.
00:15:16
Speaker 2: But isn't Evening News. Isn't that the most manufactured and packaged newscast every single day on television? You agree one hundred percent. Are they trying to break that mole? Shake that up a little bit? I do not know, But you got nineteen minutes and thirty seconds and you have to nail it. And it's something that I can't remember who said it to me, but it's so true about David Muir in that show. It fits him like a frickin' glove. Nobody else can step in there and do it. Tony's got to do that with his show in some way and make that thing his Right now, he seems to be fitting into something they want the show and him to be.
00:15:53
Speaker 1: It doesn't.
00:15:53
Speaker 2: He's not there yet and I'm not sure if he's close, But I want him to get there, and I want that show to do well.
00:15:59
Speaker 4: But as long as people think and there are plenty of people who do right now, and I don't know if this is going to change that he is basically just a puppet for the Trump administration that is not going to ever work out for him and for the show and for the broadcast.
00:16:14
Speaker 3: So I hope that's not true, and.
00:16:16
Speaker 4: I hope that they are mixing it up and trying to bring in more people who might typically go to Fox News or go to and bring them back to a traditional broadcast to legacy media. And that's great. More people who are watching the news, more people who are informed. That's a good thing. But there are serious questions about where that broadcast is headed for sure.
00:16:39
Speaker 1: Well, I will certainly be watching close.
00:16:42
Speaker 4: It's appointment television for you now in a way I have not seen you know what. It makes me want to do though, just even this conversation, I would love to go back and watch one of the most brilliant movies ever made about this industry, broadcast news it is with Holly Hunter.
00:16:58
Speaker 3: Just such an amazing fla And as you were describing some of this stuff.
00:17:03
Speaker 4: I was actually remembering that movie and thinking, you know what, we should go back and watch that movie.
00:17:08
Speaker 1: Oh goodness.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: So well again, Tony, We're rooting for you, sincerely, we are rooting for you, folks. Hope you have a good rest of your Sunday. I hope you had a good weekend. We will be back with you, of course on Monday, MLK Day. A lot of folks off, a lot of things closed, but we will still be working, so we'll continue to see you here on the feed. We always appreciate you spending time with us on TJ. Holmes on behalf of my dear Amy Robock. We will talk us
Speaker 1: Hey, that folks.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: It is Sunday, January eighteenth, and we have some new leaked audio. Well it sounds sexy, but this leaked audio is really just telling us what we already knew. President Trump likes to threaten the media, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Still interesting. A threat do what I tell you to do, or I will sue you. And CBS News did exactly what they told him to.
00:00:39
Speaker 3: Do, yes, so it was an effective threat.
00:00:41
Speaker 4: I think that's the biggest concern of them all is that, yes, anyone can threaten the administration. And we've seen this with past administrations. Can be unhappy with the press, they can not like what the press has said or done, or how they've edited something. But never before have we had the president threatened to sue, follow up with a lawsuit and then basically exact control because people.
00:01:04
Speaker 3: Know that he will suit.
00:01:05
Speaker 2: Yeah, and he has won. I don't know if he's won in court, but they was essentially called uncle before they even get to a court room with some of these places. So what we're talking about here now, and look, yes it was. It has been a tough launch for Tony de Copel. Look where Root and form over there at CBS News as the new evening anchor. But it has been a rough stretch. But he's been on this promotional tour. And one of the things CBS Evening News last Tuesday, Robes was the interview with President Trump in Pittsburgh. Got a still planned. I got the right spot. It was in Michigan, in Michigan, Yes, he went to Pittsburgh later, You are right, it was where.
00:01:38
Speaker 1: Do you flip?
00:01:38
Speaker 4: Somebody else was in Detroit that same place. Okay, Yes, that was a headline making stop for the president and for Tony de Cope for a different reason.
00:01:48
Speaker 2: So it was that stop that Tony de Coppel was making. Had an interview with the president. We saw at air, well, what has just come out? And it was just overnight, Was it not Robes that this leaked audio in which Carolyn Levitt made sure CBS News understood that interview needs to air in full or else.
00:02:06
Speaker 4: Yes, So this was and by the way, we watched the whole thing, as you pointed out, air on the broadcast, and it was long, thirteen minute interview. That is long for a morning show that has two hours of content. That is long for just about any broadcast. But for a broadcast, it only has about what twenty one minutes of content?
00:02:26
Speaker 1: You know what they said, nineteen minutes and thirty seconds.
00:02:28
Speaker 3: Okay, night all they get. Wow, Okay.
00:02:30
Speaker 4: So evening news, when you consider it commercial breaks, you only have nineteen minutes and change of content. So imagine for an entire evening news broadcast, thirteen minutes is one interview. And I know it was the president, but still that is an exceptionally long time.
00:02:48
Speaker 3: You basically have no time to tell any other news.
00:02:51
Speaker 2: So the video that's leaked eoxu you mean my video is just audio that's leaked out and has been confirmed.
00:02:57
Speaker 1: So with this it's not a question confirmed. Yes, it's been conferred and proudly we should.
00:03:01
Speaker 2: Say, right, you know what exactly, But go ahead, Robe tell them what this thing said.
00:03:07
Speaker 1: But this is after the interview is essentially conducted to.
00:03:10
Speaker 4: Direct so you know, tapes are still rolling, the cameras are still rolling moments after they finished taping this thirteen minute interview.
00:03:16
Speaker 3: And you hear.
00:03:19
Speaker 4: You hear Carolyn Lovitt go up to Tony de Copple and say, I've got a message from the president. He said, make sure you guys don't cut the tape. Make sure the interview is out in full. That's what Carolyn Levitt says. Then you hear Tony de Copple respond and say, yeah, we're doing it.
00:03:36
Speaker 3: Yeah.
00:03:37
Speaker 4: Then Carolyn Levitt replies this. He said, if it's not out in full, we'll sue your ass off. Those were some strong words. It's not hey, just please make sure you follow up with your end of the deal or we had a deal, or we made a we you know we had a negotiation.
00:03:55
Speaker 3: Please make sure you uphold your end of it. Please don't edit this. No, there was none of that. If it's not how in full, will sue your ass off. She says this.
00:04:03
Speaker 4: The press secretary says this to the CVS Evening News anchor.
00:04:08
Speaker 3: That is fairly remarkable.
00:04:11
Speaker 1: Are you surprised?
00:04:12
Speaker 3: I shouldn't be, But I am.
00:04:14
Speaker 4: Yes, I still am, because I still can't imagine the press secretary saying that to Walter Cronkite or to I don't know, I'm just thinking about and maybe that stuff did go on, and maybe I'm naive, but I just still think that seems just so unprofessional and gangster and not not the way we've or I have experienced journalism and people in power.
00:04:44
Speaker 1: You know what, good point.
00:04:45
Speaker 2: I have never, in any point in my career ever been threatened in such a way. We've had people say we really need to do this, we'll only do it because of this, or even pissed people off and they say, we don't want to work with you any more.
00:04:58
Speaker 1: Kind of a thing. We never ever have anywhere close to a threat.
00:05:02
Speaker 4: Oh. I've had a publicist be very upset with me that I asked Lindsay Lohan a question that she didn't want me to ask. But look, I think when you go into this career, we have all learned the hard way, but the right way. You don't, as a journalist let anyone tell you editorially what you can or cannot do. Not before an interview, not during an interview, and not after an interview.
00:05:23
Speaker 3: That's just basic journalism. One oh one.
00:05:26
Speaker 4: And someone tells you, I'll give you the interview, but you can't ask me this question, the interview should be off. You say, I can ask you anything. You can answer it however you'd like, Yes, but I have to have the right to ask you any question. I cannot walk into an interview and agree to an interview when a question is off the table that needs to be asked, So that's one on one. But then to have a threat that you can't edit it for time, that you can't edit it for any reason, to let the person you're interviewing have that kind of control, and then have that person be the President of the United States, that's scary stuff.
00:06:01
Speaker 2: So they argue, right CBS that they had made the decision before the interview even took place, that they were going to air it in its entirety, they say on CBS Evening News. And maybe that's the case, so they air claimed CBS News. Their official position is that, yes, you hear this audio, you hear this leaked audio. However, we did not acquiesce to a demand. We had already made this independent decision, and that's possible.
00:06:27
Speaker 4: This is their actual statement that they released the moment we booked this interview. We made the independent decision to air it unedited and in its entirety.
00:06:37
Speaker 3: And like you said, that very well may be true.
00:06:39
Speaker 4: It still doesn't take away what we heard at the end of that video, the audio from Carolyn Levitt and what she said to Tony Dekoppel.
00:06:48
Speaker 2: Why was it necessary because these discussions happen ahead of time. To think it wouldn't have been discussed already that this was going to happen. Why after the fact did that Because clearly wasn't in her head that we had already talked about it and it's going to air in its entirety.
00:07:02
Speaker 3: She it was a friendly reminder.
00:07:05
Speaker 1: Maybe that's what it was. Maybe that's the way to put it, but it's air in its entirety.
00:07:08
Speaker 2: Look and Tony decopple, this is just one more I mean, he's been on this tour. He needs to get back and sit down at the desk and rather get there literally get his feet up under him, because it was a rough stretch. And I know headlines are supposed to be right as long as they're talking about you doing something right. Some will argue, but he has had a misstep after misstep, bad headline after headline, and after all, everybody's talking about him, but they didn't get it didn't result in a bump in their numbers.
00:07:36
Speaker 4: Yes, he's just People say there's no such thing as bad press. I would disagree because this bad press, and he's certainly got a lot of it, has not pushed the needle in any significant way, they're down year to year, and I think there's a slight bump, but it's minuscule from even where they were in December with that strange two male anchor format that they had. They're not even up that much from that point into which isn't saying much at all, we should say. Carolyn Levitt when asked now, by the way, so CBS's.
00:08:06
Speaker 3: Response was, Hey, we were already going to do it.
00:08:08
Speaker 4: But Carolyn Levitt's response when people asked or the media then asked her about getting caught on tape basically, and I don't want to say caught on tape, but certainly she wasn't under the impression she was being recorded and it was going to be released, So yes, I mean, this was not something she was planning on being publicly disseminated. But she had a very interesting response to reporters asking about this leaked audio. She said, the American people deserved to watch President Trump's full interviews, unedited, no cuts, and guess what the interview ran in full?
00:08:44
Speaker 2: People deserve And guess what I mean. She's essentially saying, Yay, my threat worked. Yep, that's exactly what happened. Everything exactly how we planned it.
00:08:56
Speaker 1: I don't know.
00:08:56
Speaker 2: I mean this is people understand this, right, This happens everywhere every day in the industry. Everything you ever watch, there are no almost zero interviews air in their entirety.
00:09:10
Speaker 1: Oh, it's just how it goes.
00:09:12
Speaker 2: You know.
00:09:12
Speaker 4: The only time I've heard people even you know, and look, we understand. Anyone who's been interviewed understands you can get edited and it can sound very different than how you intended it. That is why most people who are concerned about that say, I'll just go on live, because then you can edit it so that I totally understand where they're coming from in that.
00:09:33
Speaker 3: But yeah, time constraints and you.
00:09:35
Speaker 4: Couldn't You could see and you could watch Tony trying to push the president along for timing issues, and the President's not going to do anything he doesn't want to do. He's not going to move on to another topic, and he's not going to be interrupted. So yes, it went on for thirteen minutes. That is almost unheard of to have an unedited interview. And if you did offer that, if that was a part of the negotiation, it usually would go online, like we can give a full unedited version online. So people to go to their website and then watch the full thirteen minute interview, but probably only four minutes of that would have actually aired on a nightly broadcast.
00:10:07
Speaker 2: And they just did this recently with uh Nora O'Donnell. When was that It was a sixty.
00:10:11
Speaker 1: Minutes was it interview they did with him, Yes.
00:10:13
Speaker 2: But she sat down with him for an hour and a half and they only aired and end up twenty five or so minutes of it. And I think they put the whole transcript online.
00:10:20
Speaker 4: But you have to do that, you just that's fair, And I understand why anyone being interviewed the president of the United States, understandable, but anybody I can see why you would want the full transcript to be out for there to be an unedited version available so that if something was taken out of context, you could refer people to the actual interview.
00:10:37
Speaker 3: That's fair and that makes sense.
00:10:39
Speaker 4: But to actually demand the broadcast be the way you wanted to be, that's something altogether different.
00:10:47
Speaker 2: Well, stay here, folks, in case you don't remember, we will remind you exactly why there are sixteen million reasons why CBS News was happy to do exactly what President Trump told them. They had to do. Also will take a look back at the launch that was for Tony. All right, we continue here on Amy and TJ and Robes. We full disclosure. We do this too often. I forget what I tease, and then I forget what to talk about after the break. So I just teased two things. Yes, one was what was the other one?
00:11:30
Speaker 4: You teased that Tony de Copple had a rough launch, and then you also tease, oh wait, wait, we do this.
00:11:40
Speaker 1: All the time. Forgive us, forgive us, forgive us. Sometimes we're jotting me.
00:11:43
Speaker 3: Also that there were sixteen million reasons boom.
00:11:46
Speaker 1: There is why.
00:11:47
Speaker 4: Yes, the news organizations listen when President Trump threatens action.
00:11:52
Speaker 2: And look, yes, folks remember this. The President has sued a bunch of news agencies and a bunch of things, essentially the biggest ones on the planet for the most part, and he has He hasn't won in court, but he has won before even going to court. Sixteen million from ABC and sixteen million from CBS, in particular sixty minutes having to do with an interview and how it was edited with Kamala Harris.
00:12:13
Speaker 1: Now we moved to this.
00:12:16
Speaker 2: He's essentially telling them again what they need to do with an interview that they taped.
00:12:21
Speaker 4: Or will sue your ass off. And look I was reading. Obviously a lot of media outlets have reacted to this leak, and the New York Times said this and this is actually reminded me of what you just said before the break not long ago. The notion of a White House press secretary casually threatening a lawsuit if a journalist does not obey her orders would be shocking not long ago being the operative phrase there.
00:12:48
Speaker 3: But yeah, it would have been unheard.
00:12:51
Speaker 2: Of, new standard. It's totally new standard. And yeah, this doesn't you know, you and I and again full disclosure here. Let's just see how the sausage is made a little bit back here. But Rose and I debated about doing this episode. It was a no brainer to you, and it may that makes sense for me. I'm like, yeah, this is not surprising. This is how they roll. Why is this news that we have become as a country almost getting gotten to that.
00:13:15
Speaker 3: Pop desensitized to what they do. But this is a big deal. This, This should be sure. I agree, this should be outrageous.
00:13:24
Speaker 4: We should all be saying, how in the hell is this happening in the United States? Of America, where we all know that having a free press is a cornerstone to having a free nation period period.
00:13:37
Speaker 2: But only if you act right. Oh, we will see your asses off. I mean, you're right, baby, that's that. I just fell victim to it. Like, eh, it's a not a big deals. Just how they roll is breath. It's not the biggest threat they're going to make this week. Did you know they're trying to take Greenland?
00:13:52
Speaker 4: Oh?
00:13:52
Speaker 3: My goodness.
00:13:53
Speaker 4: And look when it comes to Tony Dkoppole's rough two weeks, most of it has had to do with the leanings of this broadcast now and who is in charge of this broadcast, and who is writing some of this copy and how is it being presented. It's definitely raised the eyebrows of just about everybody.
00:14:17
Speaker 2: Oh that's the direction they want to go, and that's fine, And I am still waiting. It's been two weeks, right, two full weeks.
00:14:23
Speaker 1: Outside of two weeks.
00:14:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, I still want to give it a shot. I'm not sure where they're going what they want to do, and maybe they're not sure either, but I'm I'm willing to listen and give it a shot and give it a try. I am giving Evening news a try right now. For the first time in years, I haven't been an evening news watcher. So now I'm I'm coming back into and trying to see something new, and I haven't seen anything new necessarily. I'm not sure what they're trying to be. He's done some editorial things that.
00:14:50
Speaker 3: Are He's cried multiple times in two weeks on the air.
00:14:55
Speaker 1: Look, I've cried plenty on TV.
00:14:56
Speaker 4: Sure about your lost childhood in Miami. I mean, I just there were some moments where it just felt forced. And I'm not trying to say that he wasn't being authentic, but there were still choices made when you look at the tape and decide what to air and what to present, and it does feel a little manufactured, and I think people see through that, and that's part of the problem.
00:15:16
Speaker 2: But isn't Evening News. Isn't that the most manufactured and packaged newscast every single day on television? You agree one hundred percent. Are they trying to break that mole? Shake that up a little bit? I do not know, But you got nineteen minutes and thirty seconds and you have to nail it. And it's something that I can't remember who said it to me, but it's so true about David Muir in that show. It fits him like a frickin' glove. Nobody else can step in there and do it. Tony's got to do that with his show in some way and make that thing his Right now, he seems to be fitting into something they want the show and him to be.
00:15:53
Speaker 1: It doesn't.
00:15:53
Speaker 2: He's not there yet and I'm not sure if he's close, But I want him to get there, and I want that show to do well.
00:15:59
Speaker 4: But as long as people think and there are plenty of people who do right now, and I don't know if this is going to change that he is basically just a puppet for the Trump administration that is not going to ever work out for him and for the show and for the broadcast.
00:16:14
Speaker 3: So I hope that's not true, and.
00:16:16
Speaker 4: I hope that they are mixing it up and trying to bring in more people who might typically go to Fox News or go to and bring them back to a traditional broadcast to legacy media. And that's great. More people who are watching the news, more people who are informed. That's a good thing. But there are serious questions about where that broadcast is headed for sure.
00:16:39
Speaker 1: Well, I will certainly be watching close.
00:16:42
Speaker 4: It's appointment television for you now in a way I have not seen you know what. It makes me want to do though, just even this conversation, I would love to go back and watch one of the most brilliant movies ever made about this industry, broadcast news it is with Holly Hunter.
00:16:58
Speaker 3: Just such an amazing fla And as you were describing some of this stuff.
00:17:03
Speaker 4: I was actually remembering that movie and thinking, you know what, we should go back and watch that movie.
00:17:08
Speaker 1: Oh goodness.
00:17:10
Speaker 2: So well again, Tony, We're rooting for you, sincerely, we are rooting for you, folks. Hope you have a good rest of your Sunday. I hope you had a good weekend. We will be back with you, of course on Monday, MLK Day. A lot of folks off, a lot of things closed, but we will still be working, so we'll continue to see you here on the feed. We always appreciate you spending time with us on TJ. Holmes on behalf of my dear Amy Robock. We will talk us