In a manic week when Donald Trump launched trade wars, ripped up US foreign policy and gutted government agencies, the president also found time to demand a television network lose its licence over alleged media bias.
In a social media post, Trump accused CBS and its 60 Minutes news programme of “the biggest Broadcasting SCANDAL in History!!!” for what he claimed was deceptive editing of an interview with Kamala Harris, the Democratic opponent he defeated in the November election. CBS and its lawyers say the lawsuit is meritless.
Trump has badmouthed the press for years, labelling it “enemies of the people” and “fake news”. But now he is taking action — using lawsuits and regulatory threats to attack critical news organisations’ finances and their ability to operate, media experts say.