After months of firings and resignations, "60 Minutes" is finally staffing up. On Tuesday, executive producer Nick Bilton announced a slate of new correspondents joining the once-iconic news program.

Conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat led the list, which also included promoting Norah O'Donnell to a full-time role and hiring author Sebastian Junger, VICE News journalist Gianna Toboni, and Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips.

None of this is surprising. Bari Weiss and Bilton had to fill the gaps left by Scott Pelley, Sharyn Alfonsi, and Cecilia Vega — journalists who were fired or quit rather than stand quietly by while "60 Minutes" was turned into a right-wing propaganda vehicle.

The one clear requirement for new hires seems to be this: don't upset Donald Trump. That has been the guiding principle of the Weiss era.

CBS couldn't have thrown a softer pitch at Trump than Douthat, whose "Interesting Times" interview series has produced headlines like "JD Vance on the Morality of the Trump Administration." Journalism at its finest.

Norah O'Donnell, a former CBS Evening News anchor and "60 Minutes" contributing correspondent, has never been a vocal Trump critic. Her real audition for the promotion may have come last November, when she interviewed Trump for "60 Minutes" and offered no corrections, no pushback, and barely any follow-up.

At the time, I wrote that CBS was obeying in advance. Now it's clear CBS isn't just obeying — it's leading the charge to remake legacy media into Trump-friendly territory.

I've long been frustrated with legacy media's both-sidesism and its refusal to stand up for our democracy. But every day, these outlets find new ways to prove their capitulation is complete.

Last Friday, the White House Correspondents' Association held its dinner, with Trump in attendance. Despite years of Trump disrespecting the press, violating the First Amendment, and insulting reporters, legacy outlets dutifully bought their tables and sat quietly as he delivered a rambling, hour-long rant.

When Trump insulted CNN's Kaitlan Collins, who was in the room, the crowd said nothing. When he announced his plans to violate the 22nd Amendment, they chuckled and clapped politely.

Trump told the room he intends to "run for a fourth term as President of the United States." It would be his fourth term, he explained, because he "won three times" and "did very well the second time, by the way. It's a rigged election, but we don't have to talk about it."

In the days after, most headlines treated the remark as a joke. Some called it bizarre. Others buried it deep in their coverage — or left it out entirely.

I found the whole performance, from Trump and the legacy media alike, sadly predictable.

To be clear, I would never eat dinner with Trump or shake his hand. Had I been there, I would have booed and walked out. The assembled press corps did neither.

While CBS is the most obvious example of capitulation, it is not the only one. The parent companies of ABC and NBC News have taken their own steps to appease Trump, and I could fill pages of examples of both-sides journalism from the networks and major newspapers.

It was clear on Friday night that individual journalists in that room understood exactly the role their corporate owners wanted them to play. They laughed at a joke about ending democracy because laughing was easier than confronting what they'd just heard and risking the consequences that might follow.

This is exactly why independent journalism matters more now than ever.

I founded Democracy Docket in 2020 to keep you informed on voting rights and democracy news — and to take what Trump says seriously and literally.

At Democracy Docket, we don't do both-sides journalism. We are an independent, authoritative source of truth. We will never obey in advance, and we will never bend the knee.

Unlike CBS, we're not building a team that pulls its punches. We're building a team to take on Trump — and we're just getting started.

As a Democracy Docket member, you’re already helping us grow. If you can deepen your impact, consider becoming a VIP member — our highest tier, for members who want their support to last for years to come. 

If you can't upgrade right now, I understand — and I'm grateful for your contribution as a premium member. Since we don’t have corporate investors or advertisers, you are the engine that keeps us running.

And as long as Democracy Docket is running, you'll have a source for pro-democracy news, a fighter for your voting rights, and a team exposing Trump's efforts to undermine our elections — not one sitting back and laughing while he attacks our democracy.