Ex-President Donald Trump has taken legal action against CBS News, demanding $10 billion over allegations that “60 Minutes” manipulated an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to favor the Democratic Party as the 2024 Presidential Election draws extremely close.
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Texas, claims the interview edits unfairly altered Harris’ statements, according to Fox News.
The controversy centers on Harris’ response to a question about Israel. In a promotional clip, she mentioned accomplishments influenced by “our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
However, the edited interview aired with her saying, “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
Trump’s team criticizes “60 Minutes” for allegedly altering Harris’ “word salad” response, accusing CBS of crossing journalistic boundaries.
“To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,” the lawsuit states.
Trump’s lawyers argue that many Americans, including Texans, were misled by the modified interviews.
Following backlash, CBS News explained that “60 Minutes” provided an excerpt of the interview to “Face the Nation,” which used a longer segment of her answer. CBS emphasized their commitment to clarity and accuracy in their edits.
Despite Republican pressure, CBS didn’t release the entire interview transcript. CBS’s counsel later declined the request for an unedited transcript.
Trump, persisting in his demand, sent another letter reiterating his call for transparency and signaling his intent to sue.
Demanding a jury trial, Trump seeks at least $10 billion in damages, as reported by Fox News.
