Donald Trump surprisingly declared he wants CNN on a normal path during a rare phone interview on the network following Senator Graham's death.
In a move that immediately reverberated across the media and political landscapes, President Donald Trump used a brief and unexpected appearance on CNN on July 12, 2026, to reignite his long-standing grievance with the network, declaring his intention to nudge the news giant back onto what he termed a “normal path.”
The unsolicited comment came at the fragile conclusion of a short telephone interview on CNN’s flagship Sunday program, State of the Union. Trump had broken a years-long network boycott to call in and offer public tribute following the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham, a critical South Carolina Republican and crucial political ally.