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

CBS News issued a statement on Sunday addressing accusations from former US President Donald Trump regarding deceitful editing of the October 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The network categorically denied these claims, stating, “This is false”.

The network clarified that an excerpt provided to “Face the Nation” featured a longer segment of Harris's response compared to the version aired on “60 Minutes.” Both segments responded to the same question, though they highlighted different parts of her answer.

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

Additionally, the network reminded viewers that Trump had withdrawn from his planned interview with “60 Minutes,” while Harris participated as scheduled.

CBS News in its statement also extended an invitation to Trump to appear on the show to discuss national issues, including Harris's interview content.

CBS's clarification comes in the wake of Trump's posts on Truth Social, where he accused CBS of “deceitful editing.” He referred to Harris as “Lyin' Kamala” and claimed the network “created” new answers for her, labeling the interview a “COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER.” Trump asserted that accurate editing would have ended any candidate's campaign and criticized Harris, deeming her "slow, incoherent, and in no way qualified to be President." He urged CBS to "RELEASE THE TAPES FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA," suggesting possible legal action.

During an interview with Fox News' Howard Kurtz on Sunday (October 20), Trump further condemned CBS, stating, "I think it should be taken off the air, frankly," and described Harris's performance as "horrible" and "incompetent." He claimed that CBS's editing sanitized her responses by removing a lengthy and unfavourable answer in favour of a shorter, less coherent one.

In response to the controversy, a Trump campaign spokesperson reportedly termed "60 Minutes" as "hopelessly biased". They pointed to CBS's editing practices as confirmation of Trump's accusations, claiming the network's changes were intended to present Harris in a more favourable light.