Former President Donald Trump has sued CBS, claiming the TV network’s interview of Vice President Kamala Harris was ‘doctored’ and is election interference.
Trump alleges that CBS aired two different responses from Harris when she was asked about the Israel-Hamas war.
He argues that the 60 Minutes version of the interview that aired on October 6 did not have Harris’ ‘word salad’ response to how the Biden administration influenced Israel’s actions.
A preview of the interview aired on Face the Nation showed correspondent Bill Whitaker asking Harris why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not seem to be listening to the US.
Harris said in the Face the Nation version: ‘Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.’
Republicans ridiculed Harris for the long response.
The next day when the same question was shown on 60 Minutes primetime, Harris was instead shown saying more concisely: ‘We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.’
‘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,’ states Trump’s lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Texas on Thursday, five days before the US election.
Trump’s lawyers claim that CBS’ edits were an ‘attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party as the heated 2024 Presidential Election – which President Trump is leading – approaches its conclusion’.
The former president is seeking at least $10billion in damages and a jury trial.
‘President Trump brings this action to redress the immense harm caused to him, to his campaign, and to tens of millions of citizens in Texas and across America by CBS’s deceptive broadcasting conduct,’ states the suit obtained by Fox News.
The Trump campaign and CBS did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Metro.
CBS previously stated that Trump stepped away from an interview he planned to have with the network.
The lawsuit was filed shortly after Trump held a rally in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in which he further trolled Harris and President Joe Biden over the latter calling MAGA fans ‘garbage’.
Trump, a day after speaking from a garbage truck, acted out a mock phone call between Harris and Biden over the president’s remark.
‘I’m trying Joe, I’m at a big disadvantage. You know what they say, I’m not smart and then you go and you make it more difficult for me, Joe. What are you doing, Joe?’ said Trump, pretending to be Harris.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
