CBS '60 Minutes' producer Bill Owens steps down amid Trump lawsuit

The executive producer of CBS' long-running and controversial 60 Minutes program told his staff on Tuesday that he was stepping down from his role, because he could no longer objectively oversee the show as it faces backlash over President Donald Trump's multimillion-dollar lawsuit. 

Trump sued the network in October over allegations that the program deceptively doctored its interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. The answer shown in a clip promoting the 60 Minutes interview differed from the answer in the full interview that aired.

Bill Owens, who has led the program as executive producer since 2019, has stood by the show's interview and subsequent editing, but said in his memo to staff that it was clear he could no longer run the show the way that he wanted.

“My 60 Minutes priorities have always been clear. Maybe not smart, but clear,” Owens said in a memo obtained by The Hill. “Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.

“So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward," he added, per the New York Times.

Owens said the program was still committed to covering the new Trump administration, and that the program will continue, but he will not be the person running it. 

CBS News President Wendy McMahon on Tuesday praised Owens' legacy and also committed the network to continuing its coverage of the new administration, even as its parent company, Paramount Global, reportedly eyes a settlement with Trump. 

"Standing behind what [Owens] stood for was an easy decision for me, and I never took for granted that he did the same for me,” McMahon said.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.