Trump Files $10 Billion Lawsuit Against CBS News Over Edits in Kamala '60 Minutes' Interview

Former President Donald Trump has filed a staggering $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, claiming that the network’s flagship program, “60 Minutes,” intentionally manipulated Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent interview to favor Democrats in the lead-up to the 2024 election. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, accuses CBS of “deceptive editing” and skewing Harris’ responses to make her appear more coherent and resolute on key policy issues.

According to the lawsuit, Harris’ statements on Israel were selectively edited to mask her disorganized, often confusing responses a style that critics have frequently dubbed her “word salad” approach. The controversy arose after CBS aired an edited segment from Harris’ interview, where her answer to correspondent Bill Whitaker’s question on Israel’s role in the Middle East appeared more direct than the promotional clip originally suggested.

Key details from Trump’s case against CBS News include:

• Contradictory Clips: In the original promotional footage, Harris stated, “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel... including our advocacy.” However, the edited version aired on “60 Minutes” presented her response as a more concise statement: “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States... for this war to end.” This edit, Trump argues, “cleans up” Harris’ unfocused response.

• Manipulated Narrative: Trump’s legal team claims that CBS “crossed the line from journalistic discretion to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news.” According to the lawsuit, these edits intentionally misled viewers, obscuring Harris’ reputed difficulty articulating clear, substantive responses on policy issues.

• Refusal to Release Full Transcript: After GOP senators and Trump himself demanded that CBS release the full, unedited transcript, the network declined. In response, Trump’s lawyers sent two letters urging transparency, the last of which served as a pre-suit notice. CBS eventually issued a statement saying the edited interview “allowed for a broader range of subjects” in its 21-minute segment. Trump and his legal team called this response “hasty” and “weakly worded,” maintaining that the edits aimed to make Harris appear more confident and capable in her role.

Trump has repeatedly raised concerns about Harris’ qualifications, suggesting that the vice president’s “incoherent” responses underscore her lack of fitness for office. Taking to Truth Social, Trump insisted, “In normal times, what happened on ‘60 Minutes’... would be THE END OF ANYONE’S CAMPAIGN! Kamala is slow, incoherent, and in no way qualified to be President of the United States.”

For Trump’s supporters, this lawsuit symbolizes the ongoing battle against what they view as a legacy media willing to distort facts to sway public opinion. If Trump’s lawsuit prevails, the $10 billion payout would send a significant message to mainstream media giants, reinforcing the expectation for fairness and transparency in reporting on candidates of all political affiliations. Trump’s demand for a jury trial and the massive damages requested only add to the high stakes of this case.

While CBS maintains it did nothing wrong, the network has yet to provide the complete, unedited transcript of the Harris interview a move that could either corroborate or contradict Trump’s claims of deceit. With the 2024 presidential election fast approaching, the outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for media accountability in America.

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