White House Condemns CBS News Over Hiring of Former Cheney Aide
Washington, Saturday, 14 March 2026.
The Trump White House is furiously criticizing CBS News for hiring a former Liz Cheney aide, underscoring the intense political pressure corporate media faces in staffing decisions.
A Controversial Addition to CBS News
In mid-March 2026, reports emerged that CBS News tapped Jeremy Adler to join its communications team [3][4]. Adler is a seasoned political communications executive who most recently worked at the private consultancy Upland Workshop [3]. However, it is his political resume that has sparked a firestorm [3]. From 2019 to 2023, Adler served as the deputy chief of staff and senior communications adviser for former Republican Representative Liz Cheney [2][3]. His political background also includes roles at the Republican super PAC America Rising and as a regional press secretary for now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign [2][3].
The Underlying Political Friction
The intense backlash from the executive branch is deeply rooted in the contentious history between President Trump and Liz Cheney [3]. During Trump’s first term, Cheney emerged as one of his most prominent Republican critics [3]. This adversarial relationship culminated in her leadership role on the January 6 committee and her subsequent decision to actively campaign for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 general election [2][3]. For the Trump White House, Adler’s hiring is not viewed as a standard corporate communications appointment, but rather as an endorsement of a political faction that directly opposed the president [1][4].
Corporate Maneuvering and Regulatory Hurdles
This personnel dispute arrives at a highly sensitive time for CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Skydance [1]. The network is currently navigating a complex web of corporate and political relationships [1][4]. President Trump maintains a personal friendship with Oracle founder Larry Ellison and his son, David Ellison, the latter being the controlling owner and CEO of Paramount Skydance [1][2]. This relationship adds a layer of complexity to the network’s editorial and hiring independence, prompting Stelter to question whether the White House believes it now holds veto power over CBS News staffing decisions [2].
A Network in Transition
The relationship between CBS and the Trump administration was already strained prior to Adler’s hiring [3][4]. In 2024, Donald Trump filed a staggering $20 billion lawsuit against the network, alleging grievances over a 60 Minutes interview featuring his then-opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris [1][3]. The litigation was ultimately settled in 2025 for $16 million, representing a mere 0.08 percent of the initial damages sought [3]. This costly legal battle set a contentious precedent for the network’s interactions with the current administration [3][4].