In a move that’s already sending ripples through the media and political worlds, CBS News announced on September 5, 2025, that it will overhaul its approach to airing interviews with top government officials on the flagship Sunday program, Face the Nation. The decision comes after a firestorm of criticism from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who accused the network of selectively editing her recent interview to "whitewash the truth" about Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a Salvadoran man at the center of a heated deportation debate—and broader questions about editorial transparency in a polarized era.
The controversy ignited last week, when Secretary Noem appeared on Face the Nation and was asked about Garcia, whom she described as a "known human smuggler, an MS-13 gang member, and an individual who is a wife beater, and someone who is so perverted that he solicited nude photos from minors and even his fellow human traffickers told him to knock it off." According to Fox News Digital, Noem insisted, "He was so sick in what he was doing and how he was treating small children. So, he needs to never be in the United States of America, and our administration is making sure we’re doing all that we can."
But when the interview aired, CBS trimmed more than 23% of Noem’s answers, including a 25-second portion listing Garcia’s alleged crimes, before moving on to the next question. The Department of Homeland Security released a statement lambasting CBS for "remov[ing] more than 23% of Secretary Noem’s answers exposing the truth about criminal illegal alien Kilmar Abrego Garcia, President Donald Trump’s lawful actions to protect the American people, and Secretary Noem’s commitment to fight on behalf of the American people and their tax dollars." Noem herself doubled down on social media, posting her "uncut response" and accusing CBS of editing the interview "to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety."
CBS responded by emphasizing that the interview was "edited for time and met all CBS News standards," and pointed out that the full interview and transcript were made available on YouTube and CBSNews.com. But the pushback didn’t die down. Media critics, including some from within CBS, and even an FCC complaint filed by the Center for American Rights, kept the issue in the headlines. The incident also tapped into a broader anxiety: in an age of declining trust in mainstream news, even full transcripts and unedited online videos may not be enough to satisfy critics or restore faith in the process, as The Hollywood Reporter noted.
Facing mounting pressure, CBS News issued a sweeping new policy: Face the Nation will now only broadcast live or live-to-tape interviews—except in cases where national security or legal restrictions apply. "In response to audience feedback over the past week, we have implemented a new policy for greater transparency in our interviews," CBS said in a statement. "This extra measure means the television audience will see the full, unedited interview on CBS and we will continue our practice of posting full transcripts and the unedited video online."
While this move is intended to boost transparency, it’s also stirred debate within the media industry. According to Variety, some experts warn that the policy could backfire, potentially allowing interviewees to use the airtime to spread misinformation unchecked. Moderators like Margaret Brennan, the face of Face the Nation, might find themselves with less ability to challenge or contextualize claims made by guests—undermining a key function of Sunday political shows. Mark Lukasiewicz, Dean of Hofstra University’s School of Communication, told Variety, "We are well beyond slippery-slope territory now. A national news organization is apparently surrendering a major part of its editorial decision-making power to appease the administration and to bend to its implied and explicit threats. Choosing to edit an interview, or not, is a matter for newsrooms and news organizations to decide. The government has no business in that decision."
There’s also concern that the new policy could open the door for more grandstanding by political figures on live television, as Variety points out. Without the ability to edit for time or substance, the show could become a platform for talking points rather than genuine accountability. NewsNation’s The Hill Sunday, owned by Nexstar, has long aired interviews in their entirety for transparency, but the mainstream networks have generally reserved full-length interviews for online publication, curating the broadcast segments for clarity and focus.
The CBS shakeup comes on the heels of another major controversy: a high-profile lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump. In July 2025, Paramount Global and CBS agreed to pay Trump $16 million upfront, plus additional funds, to settle his $20 billion "election interference" lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump alleged that CBS edited Harris’s exchange with correspondent Bill Whitaker to shield her from backlash ahead of the 2024 election. As part of the settlement, CBS agreed to release full transcripts of all future 60 Minutes interviews with presidential candidates.
These back-to-back incidents have put CBS News at the center of a national debate about transparency, editorial standards, and the role of news organizations in a deeply divided country. The network’s decision is also taking place against a shifting media landscape, as digital-first outlets and independent hosts publish hours-long, unedited conversations, and audiences increasingly demand unfiltered access to newsmakers.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Variety reports that CBS News is in talks to acquire The Free Press, a digital news outlet run by Bari Weiss, a prominent opinion writer known for challenging progressive orthodoxy. If the deal goes through, Weiss is expected to take a senior editorial role at CBS News, fueling speculation about whether the network could shift toward more partisan coverage—a prospect that has some CBS staffers and viewers on edge.
Despite these controversies, CBS News retains significant trust among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, according to Pew Research Center data cited by Variety. About 35% of that group trusts CBS News—more than trust PBS, CNN, or The Wall Street Journal, though less than trust Fox News Channel. Still, the network’s reputation for impartiality is seen by many as fragile, and the new live-only policy is viewed by some as a risky bet that could either rebuild or further erode that trust.
To further address concerns, CBS is actively searching for an ombudsman—a role that would presumably handle viewer complaints and oversee editorial integrity. Whether this move, combined with the new transparency policy, will be enough to satisfy critics and restore faith in the network remains to be seen.
As the dust settles, the CBS News saga stands as a vivid illustration of the challenges facing mainstream journalism in 2025: balancing transparency with editorial responsibility, serving a divided public, and navigating the ever-present pressures from political power and public opinion. The next chapter may well determine not just the fate of Face the Nation, but the broader future of televised political journalism in America.
