The American media landscape resembles an elaborate theater where the stagehands control what the audience sees while insisting they’re merely observers. The lighting, the angles, the editing – all carefully crafted to tell a particular story while maintaining the illusion of objectivity. And yet, when someone dares to point out the manipulation behind the curtain, they’re labeled as an enemy of free press. I’ve seen this play out time and again, haven’t you?

For years, mainstream outlets have wielded their broadcast privileges like fiefdoms, seemingly accountable to no one while enjoying free access to public airwaves. The relationship between these media powers and conservative voices – particularly former and current President Donald Trump – has been characterized by hostility masked as journalism.

The list of manufactured controversies stretches longer than most care to remember: the Russia collusion narrative, the “very fine people” hoax, the Covington kids, the Hunter Biden laptop dismissal, and dozens more instances where truth took a backseat to preferred political narratives. And let’s be honest—how many times have they had to eat crow after the facts came out?

This antagonistic pattern has persisted into Trump’s second term, with media outlets seemingly unwilling to accept the voters’ decision in 2024. CBS News and its flagship program “60 Minutes” have maintained their position at the forefront of what Trump’s supporters view as coordinated media opposition. It’s as though they’re still fighting the last war, isn’t it?

The latest chapter in this ongoing conflict erupted this past weekend when “60 Minutes” aired two segments that drew the president’s ire – one about Ukraine featuring President Volodymyr Zelensky, and another about Greenland that criticized Trump’s past interest in acquiring the territory for the United States. The president’s response was swift and unambiguous. You could almost feel his frustration through the screen.

Taking to Truth Social, Trump denounced the broadcast in terms that revealed his deepening frustration with what he perceives as calculated media bias:

From ‘Truth Social’:
Almost every week, 60 Minutes, which is being sued for Billions of Dollars for the fraud they committed in the 2024 Presidential Election with their Interview of Failed Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris, mentions the name “TRUMP” in a derogatory and defamatory way, but this Weekend’s “BROADCAST” tops them all. They did not one, but TWO, major stories on “TRUMP,” one having to do with Ukraine, which I say is a War that would never have happened if the 2020 Election had not been RIGGED, in other words, if I were President and, the other story was having to do with Greenland, casting our Country, as led by me, falsely, inaccurately, and fraudulently.

Trump didn’t stop at mere criticism. He called for concrete consequences, suggesting that CBS “should lose their license” and urged FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to “impose the maximum fines and punishment, which is substantial, for their unlawful and illegal behavior.” This extraordinary demand highlights the president’s belief that CBS has crossed a line from biased reporting into something he considers legally actionable. When was the last time you saw a president willing to call out media corruption this directly?

The backdrop to this conflict includes Trump’s ongoing $20 billion lawsuit against CBS, Paramount, and “60 Minutes” for allegedly manipulating an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. According to Trump’s legal team, the program edited Harris’s responses to make her appear more coherent and substantive than she actually was – an accusation that goes to the heart of journalistic ethics and election fairness.

While CBS owns only 28 of the more than 200 affiliated stations across the country, the principle at stake in Trump’s complaint extends beyond a single network. It raises fundamental questions about media accountability and whether mainstream outlets have betrayed their responsibility to the public they claim to serve. I can’t help but wonder: if they’re willing to manipulate interviews with presidential candidates, what else are they distorting?

The notion that broadcast networks receive free access to public airwaves while consistently promoting one political perspective deserves serious consideration. As the president put it, “CBS is not providing a public service. Instead, CBS is looking to deceive the public with its bias and lies.” Personally, I find it absurd that we continue to allow networks that actively work against half the country’s interests to enjoy privileged access to resources that belong to all Americans.

Americans across the political spectrum increasingly recognize the problem of media bias, even as they may disagree on solutions. When powerful institutions collude to shape public perception through selective editing, strategic framing, and outright fabrication, our democratic processes suffer. Perhaps it’s time to question the arrangement that grants certain media entities privileged access to public resources while they operate with apparent disdain for half the country’s perspectives. Wouldn’t you agree?

The confrontation between Trump and CBS represents more than a personal grudge – it highlights a fundamental breakdown in the relationship between mainstream media and the American public they purportedly serve. Whether through legal remedies, regulatory action, or market forces, something must eventually give. Our republic depends on it. And frankly, it’s about time someone had the courage to say so.

Sources: Breitbart, Straight Arrow News