Former President Donald Trump criticized CBS for its handling of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, calling it a 'giant fake news scam.' The interview aired on '60 Minutes' and 'Face the Nation,' showing Harris giving different answers to questions about the Biden administration's efforts in the Middle East.
The interview with Harris was conducted on Oct. 5 and portions were shared with 'Face the Nation' to provide fresh news and promote the longer interview. The editing process condensed Harris' responses, leading to confusion among viewers.
Trump accused CBS of replacing Harris' 'real answer' with a different one to make her look better. However, CBS clarified that both answers shown were part of Harris' full response, edited for brevity due to time constraints.
CBS defended its editing process, stating that it was necessary to fit a 45-minute interview into a 20-minute slot. The network emphasized that similar editing had been done in previous interviews, including those with Trump.
The controversy arose when viewers noticed discrepancies in Harris' answers between '60 Minutes' and 'Face the Nation.' The Trump campaign called for the release of the full, unedited transcript of the interview, questioning CBS and Harris' transparency.
In response to the criticism, a Harris campaign aide stated they do not control CBS' production decisions. The network maintained that the editing was not intended to benefit Harris and was part of the standard editing process.
This incident highlights the challenges of editing interviews for broadcast, especially when condensing lengthy conversations into shorter segments. Both CBS and the Trump campaign have raised concerns about transparency and accuracy in media coverage, reflecting ongoing tensions between politicians and the press.
