House Speaker Mike Johnson has publicly condemned CBS News for editing out significant portions of his recent interview on “Face the Nation,” accusing the network of downplaying or entirely removing key points he made about FEMA’s hurricane response, border security, and election integrity. Johnson expressed his frustration by declaring that he would only agree to live interviews with the network from now on, given the selective editing.
In a series of posts on X, Johnson shared side-by-side video comparisons between what was broadcast by CBS and the full version recorded from his office. One notable edit involved Johnson’s firsthand account of his visit to North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.
During his visit, victims of the hurricane expressed that nearly two weeks after the storm, the Biden-Harris administration had still not provided the essential resources they desperately needed. Johnson criticized CBS for cutting out five critical minutes from the interview, particularly the parts where he highlighted the administration’s delayed response.
CBS edited Speaker Johnson’s response, omitting details about the Biden administration’s lack of action in hurricane-affected areas.pic.twitter.com/xjriBjPZQS
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) October 15, 2024
Johnson wrote, “CBS deliberately omitted my entire firsthand perspective on the hurricane victims in North Carolina, who were struggling without the necessary resources. This kind of selective editing skews the narrative and leaves out the real issues Americans are facing.”
In the portion of the interview that aired, Johnson was also pressed by CBS host Margaret Brennan about election integrity, specifically regarding proof of citizenship in federal elections. He explained that many states do not require proof of citizenship for voter registration, which raises concerns.
Johnson pointed out that after Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin ordered a cleanup of the state’s voter rolls, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice sued Virginia to prevent the removal of ineligible voters from registration lists within 90 days of an election. However, according to Johnson, CBS edited out his full comments on this issue, including his critique of the lawsuit and its impact on public trust.
“In the unedited interview, I discussed how the Biden administration’s lawsuit against Virginia’s efforts to clean up voter rolls creates significant doubt in the minds of many Americans,” Johnson noted. “That part of the conversation was cut, leaving out a critical perspective on election integrity.”
Further omissions included Johnson’s comments on the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies and how millions of people entering the country illegally could potentially affect the integrity of the 2024 election.
He argued that CBS’s decision to remove these portions of the interview mirrored a similar instance where the network faced backlash for selectively editing its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, a situation CBS has refused to fully address.
CBS has been under fire for selectively editing their interviews to PROMOTE Democrats and UNDERMINE Republicans.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) October 15, 2024
Yesterday, they chose to cut FIVE important minutes out of my nearly 15 minute interview.
You can be the judge as to why.
Stand by for the receipts. pic.twitter.com/Rv4PK1Cv1W
Johnson added, “Millions of Americans are concerned about illegal immigrants voting in the 2024 election, and it’s an issue that deserves open discussion. Unfortunately, CBS chose to leave this out, just as they have with other interviews, including one with Vice President Harris.”
The speaker’s criticism highlights a growing concern over media transparency and the manipulation of interviews by selectively editing content. Johnson’s remarks come at a time when trust in the media is increasingly being questioned, especially in light of what he sees as biased coverage of critical national issues, including disaster response, border security, and the integrity of elections. His comments have reignited the debate over how media outlets shape public perception by determining what is aired and what is left on the cutting room floor.