The Republican presidential candidate has accused the news network of misleading voters by rearranging a sit-down with his Democratic rival
Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, alleging that the network deliberately misled voters by manipulating the editing of a recent ‘60 Minutes’ interview with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris. Trump’s legal team claims that CBS’s editing was “deceitful.”
The interview in question aired in early October, and CBS released two different versions of Harris’ response to a question about the Middle East conflict, one in a preview and the other in the actual ‘60 Minutes’ broadcast.
While the preview version of Harris’ response appeared confusing and convoluted, the supposedly complete version aired the following day, showcasing a completely different, more concise reply. The incident baffled viewers and sparked accusations from Trump, who branded it “the Greatest Fraud in Broadcast History” and called for the network to be stripped of its broadcasting license.
In the lawsuit submitted on Thursday, Trump’s team characterized CBS’s editing of the interview as a “partisan and unlawful act of election and voter interference.”
“To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,” the lawsuit asserted. It further added that CBS’s actions constituted an attempt “to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” and unfairly disadvantage Trump.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial and approximately $10 billion in damages, citing violations of a Texas law prohibiting deceptive acts in the conduct of business.
In a statement released later on Thursday, CBS News denied any wrongdoing and declared their intention to “vigorously” defend against the lawsuit.
“The Interview was not doctored… Former President Trump’s repeated claims against 60 Minutes are false. The lawsuit Trump has brought today against CBS is completely without merit,” the news network stated. CBS had previously acknowledged editing the interview but explained that it merely used different portions of Harris’ response to fit within the program’s timeframe. CBS has not released an unedited video or transcript of the full interview.
The lawsuit comes just days before the two candidates face off in the presidential election on November 5. Recent polls in the seven key battleground states have indicated a tight race, with margins of 1% or less.