In a rare rebuke, the CBS news magazine “60 Minutes” denied charges by former President Trump that the program doctored an answer in Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent interview to make her look better to viewers.
CBS ran an excerpt of the Democratic presidential candidate’s interview on “Face the Nation” the day before it ran in a special edition of “60 Minutes” that aired Oct. 7. The answer to a query about the Biden’s administration’s handling of the Israel-Gaza war was different from the one that aired on the program.
In speeches and appearances on his favorite conservative media outlets, Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, insists CBS was deceiving the public by editing the answer for the program as a way to put Harris in a more favorable light.
“This is false,” the program said in a statement posted Sunday on X. “’60 Minutes’ gave an excerpt of our interview to ‘Face the Nation’ that used a longer section of her answer than that on ’60 Minutes.’ Same question. Same answer but a different portion of the response.”
The portion used on “60 Minutes” was “more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide ranging 21 minute long segment.”
Harris’ entire answer appears in a transcript on the CBS News website.
The statement posted on X noted that Trump decided not to participate in the same program. CBS News has previously said he pulled out because his campaign was told his remarks would be fact-checked. Trump also said he wanted an apology from “60 Minutes” for calling Hunter Biden’s laptop Russian propaganda, which was never stated on the program.
“60 Minutes” has interviewed both presidential candidates before an election since it first premiered in 1968.
Trump still has an open invitation to appear on the program before the Nov. 5 election.
Trump’s accusation of deceptive editing has been echoed by commentators on Fox News and other outlets favorable to the former president.
Trump told right-wing podcast host Dan Bongino that he will sue the network. He has also said that he wants CBS’ broadcast TV licenses pulled and that the program should be taken off the air.
Trump brought his beef up again during an appearance Sunday on Fox News’ “Media Buzz.” Host Howard Kurtz described CBS’ actions as “unethical,” although he informed Trump that the FCC has said it would never pull a TV station’s license due to a complaint from a politician over news coverage.