CBS News fired back at former President Trump’s accusation that “60 Minutes” deceptively edited its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling the claim as “false” in a statement released Sunday. After weeks of silence following criticism over the interview, CBS finally decided to address the issue that erupted when the network aired two different responses to the same question in Harris’ interview.
The network explained that both “Face the Nation” and “60 Minutes” aired portions of the same answer but with different segments of the response. CBS assured that the edit wasn’t an attempt to deceive but rather to condense Harris’ answer for the 21-minute “60 Minutes” segment. The statement aimed to clarify their process, noting that editing is done for clarity and time constraints, whether the subject is a politician, an athlete, or a celebrity. CBS then couldn’t resist throwing in a little jab, reminding everyone that while Harris participated in the interview, Trump had opted out of his.
Despite CBS’ explanation, it’s worth noting that the network has yet to release the unedited footage or the full transcript of the interview, which, let’s be honest, doesn’t exactly scream “transparency.” Trump’s campaign wasted no time in responding to CBS’ statement, continuing to press the network to release the unedited transcript, insisting they were trying to make Harris seem more coherent than she actually was.
The Trump campaign fired back, accusing CBS of essentially confirming the allegations. According to them, CBS admitted to exactly what Trump had claimed—swapping portions of Harris’ answer to make her appear more polished. For Trump’s camp, this situation was just another example of the media’s deep bias, reinforcing the former president’s decision to steer clear of their “fake news hackery.”
In the end, it’s hard not to see CBS’ response as a half-hearted attempt to save face, and Trump’s team certainly didn’t hesitate to highlight that. The demand for CBS to release the unedited transcript remains, and whether the network will ever comply is anyone’s guess. But one thing’s for sure—the media battles continue to rage on, with both sides accusing the other of deceit.
