US Election 2024: CBS News denies Donald Trump’s claims of ‘false editing’ of Kamala Harris interview

CBS News released a statement Sunday denying former President Donald Trump’s allegations that he fraudulently edited an Oct. 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The network has categorically denied the claims, saying, “This is a lie.”

The network clarified that the clip provided by “Face the Nation” contained a longer portion of Harris’ response compared to the version aired on “60 Minutes.” Both segments answered the same question, although they highlighted different parts of her answer.

CBS News said: “When we edit any interview, whether with a politician, an athlete or a movie star, we strive to be clear, precise and accurate.” The network noted that the edited version was more concise, allowing for a broader discussion within the show’s 21-minute segment.

The network also reminded viewers that Trump pulled out of a scheduled interview with 60 Minutes and Harris attended as scheduled.

CBS News in its statement also invited Trump to appear on the show to discuss national issues, including the content of Harris’ interview.

CBS’ clarification comes after Trump posted on Truth Social in which he accused CBS of “false editing.” He called Harris “Lying Kamala” and said the network “created” new answers for her, calling the interview a “COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER.” Trump said accurate editing would end either candidate’s campaign and criticized Harris, calling her “slow, incoherent and in no way fit to be president.” He called on CBS to “RELEASE THE TAP FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA,” suggesting possible legal action.

During an interview with Fox News’ Howard Kurtz on Sunday (Oct. 20), Trump further condemned CBS, saying, “Frankly, I think it should be taken off the air,” and called Harris’ performance “horrible” and “incompetent.” He claimed that CBS editing sanitized her responses, removing a long and unfavorable response in favor of a shorter, less coherent one.

In response to the controversy, a Trump campaign spokesman reportedly called 60 Minutes “hopelessly biased.” They pointed to CBS’s editing practices as support for Trump’s allegations, saying the channel’s changes were intended to portray Harris in a more favorable light.