CBS News has finally broken its silence amid growing allegations that it deceptively edited Kamala Harris’s answers during a recent “60 Minutes” interview. After weeks of speculation, CBS issued a statement Sunday evening, dismissing the claims as “false” and accusing critics, including President Trump, of stirring up unnecessary controversy.
The issue erupted after a preview of the interview with Harris, aired ahead of the full segment, showed her answering a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with one version of events. In the preview, Harris credited the administration’s advocacy for certain movements in Israel. But when the full interview aired the next day, Harris’s response to the same question focused more on the administration’s desire to end the war in the region. Critics, including Trump, pointed to this discrepancy as evidence that CBS was selectively editing the interview to soften Harris’s image.
In its statement, CBS argued that there was no foul play. The network explained that it aired a longer segment of Harris’s response during the preview for “Face the Nation,” while a shorter, more concise version was used for the actual *60 Minutes* broadcast to make room for other topics. “Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response,” CBS maintained, claiming that this editing decision was standard practice for the network.
Still, CBS hasn’t released the full, unedited transcript of Harris’s interview, and the network’s handling of the situation has raised even more questions. In response, the Center for American Rights (CAR) filed a formal complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urging the agency to investigate whether CBS intentionally distorted Harris’s remarks.
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington acknowledged the seriousness of the complaint, noting that while the FCC typically avoids regulating news content or editorial decisions, this situation presents a different issue. “The recent complaint… raises a fully different set of issues regarding whether or not coverage was intentionally distorted,” Simington said. Whether the FCC takes action or not, the scrutiny on CBS is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
Trump has been one of the most vocal critics, accusing CBS of dishonestly editing the interview to cover up what he called a “horrible, incompetent answer” from Harris. He even suggested the network should lose its broadcasting licenses if the allegations prove true. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the calls for transparency are only growing louder as CBS tries to defend its editorial choices.
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