Columbia Broadcasting System News is facing criticism from all sides of the political spectrum after Sunday’s long-awaited “60 Minutes” interview with President Donald Trump, his first on the program in five years.
Critics and social media commentators have labelled the segment a “disaster” and “awful,” though their viewpoints differ along political lines, as mentioned in a report by The Economic Times.
When anchor Norah O'Donnell sat down with the president at Mar-a-Lago, progressive critics commented on the segment, interpreting his look and appearance as a clear sign of declining health. Left-wing commentator Harry Sisson posted on X, "This is Trump, on 60 Minutes now. He looks awful. He is incoherent, rambling, and looks like he is dripping in sweat. This man is not well!”
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The comments intensified the swirl of internet speculation surrounding the president’s health, which the White House has already tried to defuse by confirming a perfect MRI and a diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency to explain swollen ankles.
“It’s President Trump, not Mr. Trump,” a prominent conservative account wrote, noting that the usual 60 Minutes was showing the president no respect. The outlet announced the perceived slight as “disgraceful,” and a purposeful show of bias from the “Fake News” media, as mentioned in The Hindustan Times.
The segment was agitated from the beginning, marking Trump’s comeback to the network after Paramount, his parent firm, negotiated a $16 million settlement in July over a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris, Attorney and Vice President of the United States.
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According to the Hindustan Times, during the interview, Trump wasted no time bragging about the cash, telling O'Donnell, “60 Minutes was forced to pay me a lot of money.”
The leadership at CBS News, conducting the show, somehow managed to claim the critics as a chorus of disapproval. At the time the broadcast started, it provoked a backlash from the president’s supporters, who aimed their anger not at Trump but at O'Donnell and CBS. MAGA-affiliated accounts were outraged that O'Donnell kept addressing the president as "Mr. Trump" instead of Mr. President.”
