Former President Donald Trump ramped up his ongoing criticism of CBS and its flagship show 60 Minutes, demanding the network lose its broadcast license over what he claims were deceptive edits made to Vice President Kamala Harris’s interview.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump labeled the edits “election interference” and called the situation “the biggest scandal in broadcast history.”
Trump’s frustrations stemmed from 60 Minutes editing Harris’s responses to fit the time constraints of the show, which is a common practice.
However, Trump argued that Harris’s involvement should be investigated and called for President Joe Biden to replace her on the Democratic ticket. He emphasized that Biden, with 14 million primary votes, deserved the spot more than Harris, who he pointed out had none.
“60 minutes should be immediately taken off the air – election interference,” Trump wrote. “CBS should lose its license. This is the biggest scandal in broadcast history. Kamala should be investigated and forced off the campaign, and joe biden allowed to take back his rightful place. This whole sordid and fraudulent event is a threat to democracy!”
Trump linked to a Fox News article titled, “CBS Accused of ‘Significant and Intentional News Distortion’ in FCC Complaint Over ’60 Minutes’ Edit.” The article detailed a complaint filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), accusing CBS of manipulating Harris’s interview.
Despite the complaint, the FCC has already made its position clear. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement defending the network and rejecting Trump’s calls for action.
“While repeated attacks against broadcast stations by the former President may now be familiar, these threats against free speech are serious and should not be ignored,” Rosenworcel said.
She added that the FCC will not revoke licenses because a political figure disagrees with or dislikes the content being aired.
Trump was not satisfied with this response and continued to attack CBS and Harris. In a subsequent Truth Social post, he questioned why CBS had not released the unedited footage of Harris’s interview, insinuating that the network had “created” additional answers to cover up her mistakes.
“Why won’t 60 Minutes release the fraudulent tapes of Lyin’ Kamala’s interview with them? Could it be because it was a COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, or that they ‘CREATED’ many additional new answers for her?”
Trump posted. “Kamala is slow, incoherent, and in no way qualified to be President of the United States. RELEASE THE TAPES FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA. We can do it the nice way, or the hard way!”
The issue gained traction after CBS aired two versions of Harris’s responses to the same question — one in a promotional clip on Face the Nation and another during the 60 Minutes broadcast.
The Harris campaign made it clear they had no involvement in how the interview was edited, distancing themselves from the controversy.
Interestingly, Trump’s complaints about editing come despite the fact that his own interviews are regularly edited for time, including his recent town hall on Fox News.
Despite this, Trump has not criticized Fox for making similar edits. In fact, earlier on Thursday, Trump lashed out at Fox News, accusing the network of potentially undermining his chances in the 2024 election.
He suggested that if he defeats Harris, it will be “despite” Fox’s coverage, even though the network has generally been seen as favorable to him.
Trump’s intensifying attacks on the media reflect his broader strategy of undermining institutions that he perceives as critical of his actions or unfavorable to his campaign.
By accusing CBS of engaging in election interference, Trump continues to paint himself as a victim of a biased media establishment.
Although CBS and the FCC have both dismissed Trump’s demands, his rhetoric raises broader concerns about the role of the media in the political process.
As the 2024 election draws nearer, Trump’s accusations of media manipulation may resonate with his supporters, but they also deepen the growing divide between political figures and the press in a landscape already fraught with distrust and polarization.
