In the hushed boardroom of CBS News, the air was thick with tension that had been building for months. Lesley Stahl—the woman who had spent 35 years building her reputation as the backbone of “60 Minutes”—sat staring at her phone, waiting for the inevitable call from Paramount headquarters. This would be the call that changed everything.

Last May, when David Remnick of The New Yorker asked if she was “angry” with Shari Redstone, Stahl’s response sent shockwaves through the American media landscape: “Yes, I think I am. I think I am.”

The Collapse from Within

This story doesn’t begin with that explosive interview. It begins on an October night in 2024, when Kamala Harris sat before “60 Minutes” cameras for what would become a defining interview. No one could have imagined that 22 minutes of conversation would lead to the greatest crisis in the show’s 57-year history.

When Bill Whitaker asked Harris about the Gaza conflict, her response was lengthy and complex. Following standard television editing practices, the production team trimmed the opening portion of her answer to fit broadcast time constraints. This was routine practice understood by every journalist—but Donald Trump disagreed.

“What’s really behind it, in a nutshell, is to chill us,” Stahl explained with barely contained anger. “There aren’t any damages. He accused us of editing Kamala Harris in a way to help her win the election. But he won the election.”

The Secret Negotiations

Behind the scenes, another power struggle was unfolding. Shari Redstone—the woman controlling Paramount Global through National Amusements—held the key to an $8 billion merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media, son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison.

This wasn’t just business for Redstone. It was her last chance to escape Paramount’s debt troubles and personally collect $530 million. But there was a major obstacle: the FCC—staffed by Trump appointees—needed to approve the broadcast license transfer.

And Trump was demanding $20 billion from CBS.

“I’m already beginning to think about mourning, grieving,” Stahl confessed, her voice heavy with despair. “I know there’s going to be a settlement.”

The Heroes Fall

Bill Owens—the man who had devoted 37 years to CBS News and was only the third executive producer in “60 Minutes” history—could no longer endure the pressure. In April 2025, he wrote a bitter resignation letter to his entire team.

“Over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Owens wrote. “To make independent decisions based on what was right for ’60 Minutes,’ right for the audience.”

Stahl described Owens’ departure as “a punch in the stomach… one of those punches where you almost can’t breathe”. She even revealed that the entire “60 Minutes” team had discussed “resigning en masse,” but Owens had urged them to stay.

Less than a month later, Wendy McMahon—CBS News CEO who had supported Owens—also announced her resignation. “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” she wrote.

Pressure from Above

What Stahl revealed next shook the foundation of American journalism. She accused Redstone of pressuring “60 Minutes” not just about the Trump lawsuit, but also about their coverage of the Gaza war.

“To have a news organization come under corporate pressure—to have a news organization told by a corporation, ‘do this, do that with your story, change this, change that, don’t run that piece,’” Stahl said with a trembling voice. “It steps on the First Amendment, it steps on the freedom of the press.”

“It steps on what we stand for. It makes me question whether any corporation should own a news operation. It is very disconcerting.”

The Money Game

While Stahl fought for journalistic principles, negotiations were taking place at Paramount’s highest levels. According to the Wall Street Journal, Paramount had offered Trump $15 million in settlement, but was rejected. Trump demanded at least $25 million and a public apology.

Most recently, a mediator proposed a $20 million settlement, including $17 million for Trump’s presidential library and $3 million for legal fees and anti-Semitism public service announcements on Paramount networks.

The Price of Silence

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr—Trump’s appointee—made it clear that complaints about “news distortion” related to the Harris interview would “likely arise” during the Skydance-Paramount merger review.

This created a paradoxical situation: to get approval for their billion-dollar deal, Paramount needed to satisfy the Trump administration—the same administration suing them. The easiest path was to pay up and apologize.

“I’m pessimistic about the future for all journalism today,” Stahl admitted in a tearful interview. “The pain in my heart is that the public does not appreciate the importance of a free and strong and tough press in our democracy.”

When Giants Fall

Stahl’s story isn’t just about one individual. It’s about the collapse of an institution—about how financial and political pressure can bend even the most sacred principles of journalism.

“60 Minutes”—America’s most prestigious television news program, which once brought down presidents and billionaires—was now bowing to Trump’s power and money.

“I’m not sure where my line is,” Stahl honestly admitted when asked if she would resign. “I don’t think I can articulate what it is, but there is a line. Of course there’s a line.”

The Future in Darkness

As the interview with Remnick concluded, Stahl left behind a somber but determined message. She knew “60 Minutes” would survive, but in what form remained unknown.

“We will hopefully still be around, turning a new page and finding out what that new page is going to look like,” she said.

But one thing was certain: the new page wouldn’t resemble the old one. In the Trump 2.0 era, even America’s greatest journalism icons must choose between principles and survival.

And from this battle, only one person emerged victorious: Donald Trump. He had proven that destroying journalism wasn’t necessary—making them destroy themselves was enough.

As for Lesley Stahl? She remained sitting there, in that silent boardroom, with 13 Emmy Awards in her hands and a heart full of pain about the future of the profession she had loved for 54 years.

The final battle of “60 Minutes” had begun. And this time, they might lose.