'60 Minutes' Producer's Abrupt Exit Fuels Drama At Cbs News As Network Battles Trump Lawsuit

"60 Minutes" executive shaper Bill Owens abruptly discontinue nan long-running CBS News programme connected Tuesday, fueling consternation astatine nan web arsenic it fights its high-stakes ineligible conflict pinch President Donald Trump.

Trump is seeking $20 cardinal successful a suit against CBS, alleging predetermination interference complete its handling of a "60 Minutes" question and reply past twelvemonth pinch then-Vice President Kamala Harris. The president accused CBS of aiding his 2024 Democratic force done deceptive editing conscionable weeks earlier nan statesmanlike election. CBS’ genitor company, Paramount Global, agreed to mediation, signaling their courtroom feud will consequence successful a settlement. 

On Tuesday, Owens announced to colleagues he's removing himself from nan newsroom drama. 

"Over nan past months, it has besides go clear that I would not beryllium allowed to tally nan show arsenic I person ever tally it. To make independent decisions based connected what was correct for 60 Minutes, correct for nan audience," Owens wrote successful a memo obtained by Fox News Digital. "So, having defended this show – and what we guidelines for – from each angle, complete clip pinch everything I could, I americium stepping speech truthful nan show tin move forward."

"The show is excessively important to nan country, it has to continue, conscionable not pinch maine arsenic nan Executive Producer," he said.

TOP '60 MINUTES' PRODUCER RESIGNS FROM SHOW, CITES LACK OF INDEPENDENCE

"60 Minutes" executive shaper Bill Owens abruptly near nan program, claiming he could nary longer make independent decisions astatine CBS. (Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile for Collision via Getty Images)

Trump lawyer Ed Paltzik told Fox News Digital, "CBS and Paramount committed nan worst benignant of predetermination interference and fraud successful nan closing days of nan astir important statesmanlike predetermination successful history. That nan 60 Minutes leader resigned nan aforesaid week arsenic CBS settled a awesome favoritism declare is moreover further impervious of their reckless disregard for truth and nan law. President Trump will prosecute this captious matter to its conscionable and rightful conclusion." That colony progressive a suit brought by a book coordinator who alleged he was passed complete for a penning occupation connected nan CBS programme "SEAL Team" because of nan network's DEI policies.

NewsBusters executive editor Tim Graham, a blimpish media watchdog, was baffled that Owens cited journalistic independency arsenic nan logic he was stepping away.

"They often describe their work arsenic ‘independent’ erstwhile another definition would beryllium ‘tremendously biased.’ Anyone presently watching '60 Minutes' would wonderment really anyone could declare they're not allowed to 'independently' spell aft Trump pinch a hammer and tongs," Graham told Fox News Digital.

Graham believes nan existent logic for Owens’ departure is related to Trump's ineligible conflict against CBS. The suit stems from an speech Harris had pinch "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker, who asked her why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn't "listening" to nan Biden administration.

Harris was wide mocked for nan "word salad" reply that aired successful a preview clip of nan question and reply connected "Face nan Nation." However, erstwhile Whitaker asked nan aforesaid mobility during nan primetime special, Harris had a different, much concise response. Critics astatine nan clip accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield nan then-vice president from further backlash starring up to Election Day. 

Bill Whitaker’s "60 Minutes" question and reply pinch erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris is astatine nan halfway of a high-stakes lawsuit.  (Screenshots/CBS News)

Earlier this year, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr ordered CBS News to manus complete nan unedited transcript of nan question and reply arsenic portion of its investigation into whether nan web violated nan FCC's "news distortion" argumentation aft a title was filed. CBS had refused to merchandise nan unedited transcript erstwhile nan contention first began. 

The released earthy transcript and footage showed that some sets of Harris' comments came from nan aforesaid response, but CBS News had aired only nan first half of her consequence successful nan "Face nan Nation" preview clip and aired nan 2nd half during nan primetime special. 

TRUMP, CBS PARENT COMPANY SET FOR MEDIATION IN $20 BILLION ‘60 MINUTES’ LAWSUIT

Trump's attorneys amended nan suit to see aggregate excerpts from nan unedited transcript successful hopes of bolstering their lawsuit that CBS News withheld unflattering exchanges successful bid to thief nan Democratic nominee. 

Owens reportedly told staffers he was not consenting to apologize, but Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is reportedly successful favour of settling pinch nan president. 

Many judge Paramount Global is hoping to settee nan suit up of a planned merger pinch Skydance Media successful hopes of preventing imaginable retribution by Trump's FCC, which has nan authority to halt nan multibillion-dollar transaction.

Leading up to Owens' exit, Redstone reportedly "kept tabs" connected which upcoming "60 Minutes" segments were astir Trump. While a spokesperson for Redstone told Semafor neither she nor Paramount sought to termination stories, 1 root told Semafor that Redstone had been privately and publically captious of "60 Minutes" successful caller months. 

Shari Redstone, nan controlling shareholder of CBS News' genitor institution Paramount, reportedly wants to settee Trump's suit successful bid for nan company's planned merger pinch Skydance Media to move forward. (Left: (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images), Right: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"It seems for illustration nan group making this show each week are responding to Trump's suit by doubling down connected anti-Trump fervor," Graham said. 

"But we tin conjecture these self-appointed achromatic knights connected their precocious horses are upset pinch executives who mightiness discuss successful immoderate measurement pinch Team Trump," Graham continued. "Owens refuses to apologize for CBS's deficiency of professionalism, and possibly personification would for illustration that he does to get a colony done. So, he quits."

FAIR ELECTION FUND URGES FCC TO HOLD CBS ACCOUNTABLE FOR 'UNLAWFUL CONDUCT’ RELATED TO ’60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW

Owens expressed interest astir a caller uptick successful oversight from CBS executives during an soul gathering connected Tuesday erstwhile informing staffers of his abrupt exit, according to The New York Times. 

DePauw University publicity professor Jeffrey McCall said Owens is "falling connected his beard for losing his journalistic independence," but feels firm overlords person been looming complete nan news manufacture for years. 

"A cardinal mobility is whether nan execs astatine CBS were trying to micromanage Owens aliases conscionable trying to supply firm imagination to nan program," McCall told Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump revenge a whopping $20 cardinal suit against CBS News complete alleged predetermination interference. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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CBS News did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. 

Fox News Digital's David Rutz contributed to this report.