In the midst of US President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against CBS, the network has been compelled to provide the transcript of an interview with former US VP Kamala Harris conducted prior to the election.
The Federal Communications Commission will receive the “full, unedited transcript and camera feeds” of Harris’ interview which was conducted in October last year ahead of the presidential election, stated Paramount-owned CBS News.
In mid-October, the Center for American Rights lodged a complaint alleging that 60 Minutes had intentionally edited the interview. However, the complaint was rejected prior to Trump’s second inauguration.
In an October lawsuit filed in a federal court in Texas, Trump claimed that CBS News deliberately altered the interview to undermine him in the presidential election.
Trump appointed FCC Chairman reopens the case
Following Trump’s return to the White House, his newly appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reopened the case.
Harris’ response to a question about the Israel-Hamas war offended the 47th president.
In a teaser aired on Margaret Brennan’s Face the Nation, Harris was seen saying her so-called “word salad” that was vastly different from the one that actually aired.
The network justified its decision, claiming that they edited Harris’s lengthy rebuttal due to the show’s one-hour time limit. The CBS News insisted it is “not doctored.”
Also Read: Canadian hockey fans boo US national anthem in protest of Trump tariffs
CBS News refutes allegations made in $10bn lawsuit
According to CBS News, the Face the Nation snippet and the 60 Minutes episode featured the “same question, same answer”, refuting the charges made in his $10 billion lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez blasted her own agency for reopening the investigation, claiming it was “clear” that Trump was blasting media that did not present him in a positive light.
“This is a retaliatory move by the government against broadcasters whose content or coverage is perceived to be unfavorable,” she told The New York Times.
