A last-minute decision by CBS News to cover Donald Trump's much-maligned address to the nation last Thursday came as a surprise to staffers who had been informed it would only be on the streaming platform.
Now there are questions about what changed after the White House reached out to the news organization headed by Trump-friendly Bari Weiss, according to Oliver Darcy of the media-focused site Status.
CBS News staffers had been explicitly told the network would air Trump's remarks exclusively on its streaming service, Darcy wrote.
Just hours before the national address, as anchor Tony Dokoupil wrapped the "CBS Evening News," he casually mentioned that viewers could stream the speech on CBS News' digital platform. No mention was made of broadcast coverage. Two hours later, CBS News suddenly reversed course and announced it would air a primetime special carrying Trump's address live—making CBS the only broadcast network to do so.
The timing was suspicious. CBS News had privately informed Democratic aides earlier that day it had no intention of carrying the speech. Network staffers operated under the assumption the special would remain confined to streaming.
"A lot of people were surprised," one CBS News staffer told Darcy about the eleventh-hour reversal. "The larger sentiment at the network was against carrying the remarks."
What triggered the flip-flop remains unclear—but the fingers point directly at the White House. Trump's office had requested that all networks air the address. More significantly, CBS News owner David Ellison maintains a special relationship with the president.
"Earlier in the day, CBS News was invited to participate in an off-the-record White House briefing on the address, I’m told," Darcy wrote.
"It’s not clear which other outlets participated, but I’m told John Solomon—the right-wing media personality with a history of pushing conspiracy theories who is now a government employee reviewing election material classification—was part of the team briefing the press on Trump’s remarks. Later that evening, CBS News welcomed Solomon on the air to discuss the speech."
CBS News declined to comment to Darcy. The White House offered no response to questions about the influence it may have exerted.