Trump demands CBS taken off air after editing Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes ‘word salad’

Donald Trump is pushing for CBS News to lose its license and be taken off the air after favorably editing the 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.

The former president is furious that the network posted on YouTube a version of an interview with Harris that removed her “Word Salad” response about the Israel-Hamas war, which was widely criticized on social media when the episode originally aired on Monday was broadcast on TV. .

Trump’s son Eric also contributed to the edited clip, writing about X: ‘How is this legal? The mainstream media in this country is deeply corrupt and broken.”

Thursday is not the first time Trump has demanded that a news network be taken off the air.

Following the September 10 debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, the former president called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke ABC News’ license due to its moderating style, which included fact-checking in real time.

FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel emphasized that her agency would not revoke the licenses because of the political candidates’ disagreements with the network, saying Trump’s latest attack is a “threat to free speech” that “should not be ignored.”

“As I have said before, the First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy,” the president said in a statement Thursday. “The FCC does not and will not revoke broadcaster licenses simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes the content or reporting.”

The FCC is a federal agency that issues licenses to individual broadcasters and renews them every eight years.

When reviewing licenses, the FCC determines whether renewal is in the public interest.

Courts have consistently affirmed that the First Amendment prohibits the FCC from stripping a broadcaster of its license based on editorial decisions.

“A massive Fake News Scam by CBS & 60 Minutes,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. “Her REAL ANSWER WAS CRAZY OR STUPID, so they basically REPLACED it with another answer to save her or, at least, make her look better. A FAKE NEWS SCAM, which is completely illegal.

“PLEASE TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE,” he demanded in all caps, adding, “Election interference.”

The rant continued: “She is an idiot, and the Fake News Media wants to hide that fact. An unprecedented scandal!!! The Democrats got them to do this and should be forced to allow the election? WOW!’

Trump’s campaign demanded that CBS release the full, unedited transcript of the 60 Minutes interview.

“If 60 Minutes had an ounce of integrity, they would release the full, unedited interview,” Trump’s running mate Sen. JD Vance wrote on X.

“The person who can’t answer basic questions about national security wants to be our next president. Let us see what she actually said in full.”

He accused the network of trying to make his Democratic competitor look more “presidential” and said their move to favorably edit the 2024 hopeful is a “campaign finance violation.”

The 60 Minutes interview was part of Harris’ media blitz before Election Day aired Monday night and the network posted the episode to the show’s official YouTube page.

But X users were quick to point out that at least one question had been edited to change her answer in the YouTube version.

Trump said CBS News owes the public an apology.

CBS News and parent company Paramount Global did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com about the decision-making behind the edited clip.

Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary, said in a statement Tuesday night, “Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala’s entire word salad, and what else did they not air?”

“The American people deserve the complete, unedited transcript of Kamala’s sit-down interview. We’re calling on 60 Minutes and CBS to release it. What do she and Kamala have to hide?’ she added.

She called Harris’ response to 60 Minutes host Bill Whitaker “idiotic.”

Host Bill Whitaker asked Harris whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listened to the US and whether the administration had any influence over the Jewish state’s decision-making in its conflict with Hamas terrorists operating from Gaza.

“Well Bill, the work that we’ve done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much motivated by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to be done in the region,” Harris responded .

Her answer was peppered with long pauses and hesitant phrasing.

Social media erupted with conservatives unhappy with the non-response and speaking out about their criticism of the VP’s “word salad” on X.

One user asked someone to “interpret” her answer for him.

But after the episode aired Monday night on 60 Minutes, the version posted to YouTube of the show did not include Harris’s nonsensical response, but instead a more condensed, straightforward and confident response.

“We will not stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to make clear where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris said in the redacted response to Whitaker.

Pro-MAGA accounts and conservative folks on X were quick to point out the change.

“I’ve never seen this before,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday, “but the producers of 60 Minutes cut and sliced ​​(‘cut and pasted’) Lyin’ Kamala’s answers to questions, which were virtually incoherent… to get her out.” more presidential’, or at least better.’

“It could also be a major campaign finance violation,” he claimed.

“This is a stain on 60 Minutes’ reputation that cannot be repaired. It will always remain with this once legendary brand. I’ve never heard of something like this being done in ‘News’. It’s the definition of FAKE NEWS! The public is owed a BIG AND IMMEDIATE APOLOGY! This is an open and shut case and must be investigated from today!’

The interview aired Monday – the same day that marked the one-year anniversary of the start of the conflict in the Middle East after Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and carried out the largest massacre of Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust.

In the wake of the backlash over her response to 60 Minutes, it appears CBS News has decided to edit the vice president’s response.

Harris’ media strategy has largely remained free of sit-down interviews with television networks and has leaned more toward non-traditional avenues — such as speaking to raunchy, sex-oriented podcast host Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy.

The 60 Minutes interview was one of her few extended sit-downs with a legacy television network.