President Donald Trump surprised viewers Sunday with an unannounced phone-in to CNN, where he told anchor Jake Tapper that his administration is actively working to steer the direction of the network. 'We're trying to have CNN go on a normal path, and we'll do that,' Trump said on live national television.
Trump said he had called in to discuss the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham, and declined to answer questions on any other subject, including the latest U.S. strikes on Iran. Tapper accepted those limits, thanking the president for his time and closing by telling him the network would love to have him back.
The exchange immediately drew fire online, where critics called the interview a capitulation and argued that it is not a president's place to direct the 'path' of a news organization. Others pointed to the timing: the Justice Department has approved Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent company, a merger that depends on staying in the administration's good graces.
The moment lands amid an already fraught White House-media standoff. Trump previously barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House reporting grounds before a federal judge temporarily restored their access for 14 days. With the midterms a month away, the fight over press access shows no sign of cooling.
