CBS has agreed to release the unedited transcript and full camera feeds of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ October 60 Minutes interview to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) following a legal battle with President Donald Trump.
The move comes after Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS, alleging that the interview was deceptively edited to benefit Harris and mislead voters.
According to The New York Post, CBS confirmed on Friday that it had turned over the materials after being requested to do so by Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman appointed by Trump. This decision is notable because 60 Minutes has historically refused to release transcripts or raw footage of its interviews. However, Trump’s lawsuit has put the network under increased scrutiny.
CBS’ parent company, Paramount, may now consider settling the lawsuit rather than facing prolonged legal battles. This comes in the wake of other recent high-profile settlements involving Trump, including:
A $16 million settlement from ABC News over a defamation case related to George Stephanopoulos. A $25 million settlement from Meta after Trump sued the company over his suspension from Facebook in 2021.
Trump’s lawsuit argues that CBS intentionally altered Harris’ responses to make her appear more articulate. The controversy revolves around editing inconsistencies between the versions of the interview that aired on Face the Nation and 60 Minutes.
During the interview, correspondent Bill Whitaker asked Harris about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The version aired on Face the Nation featured a long, meandering response, where Harris stated:
“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in several movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
However, the edited version aired on 60 Minutes the following day featured a much shorter, more concise statement:
“We are not gonna 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 legal team claims that CBS intentionally altered Harris’ response to eliminate what he called her “word salad” tendencies and present her in a more favorable light.
“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 alleges.
CBS has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that all edits were made for time constraints and were in line with standard broadcasting practices. However, Trump’s lawsuit calls the changes “partisan and unlawful acts of voter interference.”
With the unedited footage now in the hands of the FCC, this case could set a major precedent regarding the editing practices of major news organizations.
This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as legal proceedings continue.