Bill Owens' sudden resignation from "60 Minutes" due to Trump's attack.

Bill Owens, the veteran producer of the famous "60 Minutes" program, announced his resignation amid a storm of controversy and political attacks, shaking the corridors of CBS News network.

The decision came after months of pressure, amidst a fierce legal dispute with the U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the program of manipulating an interview conducted with his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.

"60 Minutes," one of the oldest and most famous news programs in the United States since its launch in 1968, recently found itself in the eye of the storm, after Trump filed a lawsuit against it in October 2024, demanding a huge compensation of $20 billion.

The Republican president alleged that the program acted unfairly in presenting the interview with Harris, while CBS network denied the accusations in full and continued to broadcast investigations criticizing Trump's administration since his return to the White House.

Owens, who held his position for years and is considered one of the prominent journalistic figures in the network, explained in a farewell message to the team that he could no longer manage the program freely as he used to, pointing out that the editorial independence he always upheld was now threatened. He said:

"I have defended this program with all I have, but now is the time for me to step aside so it can move forward."

The dispute was not limited to media attacks only, but extended to politics and economics.

Paramount, the owner of CBS News, is currently seeking to merge with Skydance, a step requiring approval from the Federal Communications Commission, chaired by Brendan Carr, a close associate of Trump, making the conflict more complex and intertwined.

The reactions were fiery, with Trump openly calling for the cancellation of the program, while his advisor Elon Musk went as far as demanding the imprisonment of the "60 Minutes" team.

While media circles discuss the possibility of reaching a legal settlement between the parties, Owens pledged not to apologize, affirming his commitment to the principles of free journalism.

The program, which still attracts nearly 10 million viewers weekly, finds itself today at a crossroads, balancing between maintaining its historical credibility and facing political challenges like never before.