An unedited interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris has been made public by CBS, following a $10 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump and a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) probe. The media network is under scrutiny for allegedly manipulating broadcasts to favor Trump’s Democratic rival in the 2024 presidential election.
The dispute originates from an interview that was shown on two CBS shows in October. In the segment aired on “Face the Nation” on October 6, correspondent Bill Whitaker asked Harris about the U.S. relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, especially in the context of the ongoing conflict.
Whitaker, according to the unedited transcript, asked, “But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening. The Wall Street Journal said that he — that your administration has repeatedly been blindsided by Netanyahu, and in fact, he has rebuffed just about all of your administration’s entreaties.”
The full response from Harris, which is revealed in the transcript, was aired in two separate segments by CBS: “Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of 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. And we’re not going to stop doing that. 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.”
These editorial decisions have triggered internal discord within CBS News. While “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens justified the edits as being “perfectly fine,” others within the organization have described it as an avoidable error that required more stringent editorial supervision. Several employees are contemplating quitting due to this controversy.
Trump lodged the lawsuit in Texas, alleging breaches of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit demands $10 billion in damages, claiming that CBS substituted Harris’ “horrible election-changing answers” with “completely different, and far better, answers.”
Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, faces wider implications as it seeks approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has linked his review of the broadcast to the merger and has initiated a formal inquiry, asking CBS to provide the full footage.
A Democratic FCC commissioner condemned the investigation as a “weaponization against CBS” and a government “retaliatory move against broadcasters whose content or coverage is seen as unfavorable.” The FCC’s role in such cases is limited, with the authority barred from censoring or infringing on the First Amendment rights of the press.
CBS stands by its editorial integrity, stating, “In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, space or clarity. In making these edits, “60 Minutes” is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public – all while working within the constraints of broadcast television.”
Despite pressure from Paramount Global to settle the lawsuit with Trump and facilitate the Skydance merger, CBS News and Stations CEO Wendy McMahon and Owens strongly oppose any settlement. Paramount Global sees the settlement as key to obtaining regulatory approval for the merger. The FCC has opened a public docket for comments on the issue, potentially further affecting CBS’s journalistic reputation and the business interests of its parent company.
