CBS Sacrifices Major Story to Appease Trump and Further Its Conservative Shift

In a move that strongly suggests an attempt to curry favor with the Trump White House and solidify its transformation into a conservative-leaning network, the CBS Evening News made a conspicuously political editorial decision: it was the only major network news program to completely ignore President Donald Trump's surprise pardon of money-laundering cryptocurrency billionaire Changpeng Zhao on Thursday.

The blanket silence on a story that was one of the day's biggest national headlines—covered by CNN, the NewYorkTimes, AP, Reuters, as well as Fox News and the WallStreetJournal—speaks volumes about the priorities under the new leadership of Bari Weiss at CBS News.

The Zhao pardon wasn't just a legal curiosity; it carried significant baggage directly relevant to the Trump family's financial interests and the President's public stance. The context of the pardon made CBS's omission nearly indefensible:

Zhao, who stepped down as CEO after his plea and served only four months in prison, retained his controlling shares and is now free to return to the crypto C-Suite, potentially doing more business in the U.S.

Instead of the explosive Zhao story, the John Dickerson- and Maurice DuBois-anchored CBSEveningNews led with less politically fraught topics: an NBA gambling scandal, the administration’s anti-drug trafficking campaign in South America, and an interview on ICE crackdowns.

The decision to spike a story involving a presidential pardon, terrorist financing, and presidential family ties strongly suggests that under the leadership appointed by Paramount chief David Ellison and his new CBS News head, Bari Weiss, the network is prioritizing access and goodwill with the Trump administration over aggressive, non-partisan investigative reporting. This is especially relevant as Ellison’s Paramount continues its vigorous pursuit of a multibillion-dollar acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, an effort that relies on a swift and favorable review from the very federal regulators influenced by the administration CBS appears so keen to please.