CBS has made public an unedited interview involving former Vice President Kamala Harris. The move comes in response to a $10 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump and an FCC probe into allegations that the network manipulated broadcasts to assist his Democratic rival in the 2024 presidential election.
The dispute originated from an interview aired in two parts across CBS shows in October. On October 6, Harris was questioned by “Face the Nation” correspondent Bill Whitaker about the U.S.’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amidst the ongoing conflict.
Whitaker posed a question to Harris in the unedited transcript, “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,” he queried.
The unedited transcript reveals Harris’ full reply, which was broadcast in two different segments: “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.”
Internal disagreement at CBS News has been ignited by the editing decisions. “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens defended the edits as “perfectly fine,” but some employees view it as an avoidable mistake that required better editorial oversight. The controversy has prompted several staffers to contemplate resignation.
Trump initiated the lawsuit in Texas, alleging violations of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The legal action demands $10 billion in damages, claiming CBS replaced Harris’ “horrible election-changing answers” with “completely different, far better, answers.”
The issue has broader repercussions for Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, which is seeking regulatory approval for a merger with Skydance Media worth $8 billion. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has linked his review of the broadcast to the proposed merger and initiated an official investigation, requesting CBS to provide the complete footage.
An FCC commissioner from the Democratic party condemned the investigation as a “weaponization against CBS” and a “retaliatory move by the government against broadcasters whose content or coverage is perceived to be unfavorable.” The FCC’s power in such cases is limited as it cannot engage in censorship or infringe on the First Amendment rights of the media.
CBS asserts its journalistic integrity: “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 to facilitate the Skydance merger, CBS News and Stations CEO Wendy McMahon and Owens strongly oppose any settlement. Paramount Global sees the settlement as critical for securing regulatory approval for the deal. The FCC has opened a public docket for comments on the issue, extending the potential impact of the controversy on CBS’s journalistic reputation and its parent company’s commercial interests.