Trump amps up the pressure on CBS with massive discovery demand as ’60 Minutes’ lawsuit moves forward

FIRST ON FOX -- President Donald Trump’s legal team continued to dial up the pressure on CBS and parent company Paramount Global on Thursday with a massive discovery demand for 107 different forms of communications. 

Trump is seeking $20 billion in a lawsuit against CBS, alleging election interference over its handling of a "60 Minutes" interview. The president has accused CBS of aiding his Democrat rival Vice President Kamala Harris through deceptive editing one month before they faced off in the presidential election. The saga began when Harris was widely mocked for a "word salad" answer she gave to "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker during a preview of the interview on "Face the Nation," as CBS aired a more coherent answer to the same question during a primetime special. 

In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Trump’s legal team has requested "all documents in CBS Interactive’s possession, custody, or control, wherever located, including documents in the possession of its representatives, attorneys, or other persons directly or indirectly retained by CBS Interactive, or anyone else acting on its behalf or otherwise subject to its control" pertaining to the interview. 

FCC CHAIR CALLS CBS NEWS' CONDUCT ‘HARD TO EXPLAIN’ FOLLOWING RELEASE OF KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

President Donald Trump’s legal team continued to dial up the pressure on CBS and parent company Paramount Global on Thursday. (Left: (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images), Right:  (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images), Right: Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The demand includes all communications between CBS and the FCC, The Biden administration, the Harris campaign and the DNC from September 22, 0224 through February 11, 2025. Trump’s legal team also asked for all communications about the interview involving "60 Minutes" executive editor Tanya Simon’s, executive producer Bill Owens, "Face the Nation" anchor Margaret Brennan or Whitaker, along with "any documents containing communications about interviewing or potentially interviewing President Trump for the Election Special." 

Trump’s legal team has demanded "any documents containing communications" about the unedited exchange between CBS staffers and the Biden administration, Harris campaign and the DNC. 

The 27-page list of discovery demands also asks for all internal communications "60 Minutes" honchos had with editors, journalists and correspondents during the controversy, along with any communications with the Harris campaign. 

TRUMP'S LAWSUIT AGAINST CBS EXPANDS AFTER RELEASE OF '60 MINUTES' TRANSCRIPT, ADDS PARAMOUNT AS DEFENDANT

Bill Whitaker’s "60 Minutes" interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris is at the center of a high-stakes lawsuit.  (Screenshots/CBS News)

Any communications pertaining to the lawsuit between CBS and Paramount employees have also been requested, along with any communications about advertising or commercials during the programs that aired the Harris interview.

Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is also named and Trump’s legal team wants to see her interactions with "60 Minutes" employees, too. 

Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield the former vice president from further backlash. The discovery request comes after Trump secured a legal victory earlier this week when a judge deemed CBS and Paramount’s motion to dismiss "moot."

CBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

CBS STAFFERS UPSET OVER ‘60 MINUTES’ DRAMA, ADMIT KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW EDITS WERE AN ‘UNFORCED ERROR’

President Trump and others were not pleased with CBS News’ "60 Minutes" over controversial edit of its interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. (Left: (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images), Center: Screenshot/60Minutes, Right: (Photo by Andy Manis/Getty Images))

New FCC Chair Brendan Carr ordered CBS News to hand over the unedited transcript as part of its investigation into whether the network violated the FCC's "news distortion" policy after a complaint was filed. CBS had refused to release the unedited transcript until the FCC got involved. 

Last week, Trump’s legal team led by attorneys Ed Paltzik and Dan Epstein amended the original lawsuit after the release of the unedited transcript and raw footage of its controversial "60 Minutes" interview. The lawsuit added CBS News' parent company, Paramount Global, as a defendant, citing how the "60 Minutes" election special was platformed on its Paramount+ streaming service. The lawsuit added Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, as a plaintiff and increased the damages claim to $20 billion.

CBS parent company Paramount Global is reportedly considering settling the suit ahead of a planned merger with Skydance Media in hopes of preventing potential retribution by Trump's FCC, which has the authority to halt the multibillion-dollar transaction. Redstone is reportedly in favor of settling with the president. 

The case against CBS and Paramount Global is one of the many legal fronts, criminal and civil, being coordinated by Trump’s Senior Counsel Boris Epshteyn.

Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

Brian Flood is a media editor/reporter for FOX News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @briansflood.