The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Wednesday published the unedited version of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s pre-election interview with 60 Minutes, following public concerns that the segment was deceptively edited in her favor.
The move came after President Donald Trump’s FCC ordered CBS News to turn over the full transcript and video of the interview. This directive was in response to a complaint from the Center for American Rights, which alleged that the network violated the FCC’s “news distortion” policy. CBS had previously refused to release the full materials, but after an official inquiry, the unedited footage was made public.
“We are posting the same transcripts and videos of our interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC,” 60 Minutes said in a statement on its website. “They show – consistent with 60 Minutes’ repeated assurances to the public – that the 60 Minutes broadcast was not doctored or deceitful.”
What the Edits Changed
One of the key moments in question involved Harris’s response to a question from 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker, who suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was ignoring the Biden administration’s stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In the raw footage, Harris responded:
“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.”
However, in the 60 Minutes broadcast, only a shorter response was included:
“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.”
The edit was widely criticized by conservatives, who accused CBS of cutting Harris’s response to remove a meandering answer that had been mocked as a “word salad.”
A similar edit was made to Harris’s comments about Ukraine’s potential NATO membership. In the broadcast, Harris’s response was clipped after:
“Those are all issues that we will deal with if and when it arrives at that point. Right now, we are supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked aggression.”
The full transcript, however, revealed that she had continued speaking about NATO’s broader strategy:
“And doing what we can to continue to build and strengthen the alliance around the support for Ukraine’s right to be an independent nation, free from having its borders forcefully taken by Russia. And we are going to continue to work closely with our NATO allies to continue to reinforce America’s alliance in the context of NATO.”
Trump Sues CBS Over ‘Election Interference’
The release of the full interview comes amid a legal battle between Trump and CBS News. Just five days before the election, Trump sued the network for $10 billion, accusing it of “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion.”
Trump’s lawsuit argues that the edited interview presented Harris in a more favorable light, altering public perception ahead of the election.
CBS, however, stands by its editorial choices.
“In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, space or clarity,” 60 Minutes said in a statement. “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.”
Political and Business Fallout
The controversy could also have ramifications beyond the election. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, is reportedly in talks to settle Trump’s lawsuit, as it fears potential interference from Trump’s FCC in its proposed merger with Skydance Media.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr confirmed that the agency received the unredacted transcript and video from CBS and determined that making them public was in the public interest.
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