‘Fascism is taking over’: Bully-in-chief Trump claims another victory as ‘60 Minutes’ producer quits

America’s own wannabe Mussolini has claimed yet another victim in his relentless crusade against the free press.

This time, it’s Bill Owens, the executive producer of 60 Minutes, who has packed his bags rather than watch a journalistic institution bend the knee to our newly crowned Orange Emperor. And honestly, who can blame him? When the choice is between journalistic integrity and appeasing a man who considers “person, woman, man, camera, TV” the height of intellectual achievement, sometimes the only dignified option is to exit stage left.

Let’s be clear about what’s happening here: One of America’s most venerable news programs is losing its leader because a billionaire media conglomerate appears more concerned with dodging lawsuits from a notoriously litigious president than standing behind their journalism. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

Owens, only the third executive producer in the storied 57-year history of 60 Minutes, announced his departure Tuesday in a memo that might as well have been titled “I’d Rather Quit Than Sell Out.” He stated with remarkable candor that he could no longer “make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.” Translation: The suits upstairs at Paramount Global were more interested in making nice with the White House than upholding the program’s journalistic standards. 

The breaking point appears to be a lawsuit filed by Trump last November in the Northern District of Texas—because of course it was Texas—alleging that 60 Minutes deliberately misled voters by airing different edits of an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Paramount, ever the corporate coward, has been trying to settle the case rather than fight it in court. Why? Because legal battles cost money, and Paramount’s more interested in securing its merger with Skydance Media than standing up for one of the few remaining bastions of investigative reporting.

Owens’ resignation isn’t just a loss for 60 Minutes. It’s a loss for all of us. Investigative journalism is one of the few tools we have to hold the powerful accountable. But it’s increasingly under attack—from politicians like Trump, who want to silence dissent, and from corporations like Paramount, who prioritize profit over principle. While Trump is out here suing journalists, he’s also demonizing immigrants, undermining fair trials, and turning the legal system into his personal plaything. It’s all part of a larger pattern: bully, distract, and consolidate power.

For now, I’ll be over here hoping that more media executives find their spines before it’s too late. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s that appeasing bullies never works. It just emboldens them to demand more the next time. And with Trump, there’s always a next time.