CBS' 60 Minutes has responded to allegations from
Donald Trump that the show deceitfully edited an interview with Vice President
Kamala Harris. In a statement, the network rejected the former president's claims, calling them "false." 60 Minutes clarified that while a different portion of Harris’ response was used in a preview clip for Face the Nation, the full answer was shown on the original broadcast. The show maintained that the edit was done to keep the segment "succinct" due to time constraints in the 21-minute interview.
"60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to Face the Nation that used a longer section of her answer than that on 60 Minutes. Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response," the statement by 60 Minutes read.
Trump’s accusations were made on Truth Social, where he claimed the network had replaced Harris’ response to avoid what he called "personal and professional embarrassment." He described the situation as the “worst and most blatant scandal in broadcast history,” accusing the network of “election interference and fraud.” His criticism included demands for CBS to release the unedited version of the interview, fuelling further controversy about media bias in the final weeks before the U.S. presidential election.
''I’ve done 60 Minutes many times, even back in the good ol’ days when Journalism was respected and legit, but I have never seen a very poor answer being REPLACED by another, totally unrelated answer, in order to save the person great personal and professional embarrassment. What 60 Minutes did in doing this was Election Interference and Fraud. It is the worst and most blatant scandal in Broadcast History, and will not be soon forgotten. Just watch!"
Trump had posted on Truth Social
The row stems from Harris' interview, which was part of a long-standing tradition where major candidates for office sit down with 60 Minutes. While Harris participated, Trump chose to withdraw from his scheduled interview, citing disagreements over the network’s decision to fact-check. The former president’s campaign also reportedly demanded an apology from CBS for past grievances during a 2020 interview.
The network reiterated that it stands by its editing decisions, reaffirming that they follow the same principles for all interviews, whether with politicians, athletes, or celebrities. CBS also reminded Trump that the invitation to appear on 60 Minutes remains open if he wishes to discuss the Harris interview or any other national issues.