60 Minutes has released a defensive statement after being caught deceptively editing their interview with Vice President Kamala Harris in order to make her appear intelligent.
Trump Camp Calls for Transcript
“Why did 60 Minutes choose not to air Kamala’s full word salad, and what else did they choose not to air?” said Trump national press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, adding “The American people deserve the full, unedited transcript.”
Now, nearly two weeks later, 60 Minutes has denied ‘deceitful’ editing of the interview in a new statement.
“Former President Donald Trump is accusing 60 Minutes of deceitful editing of our Oct. 7 interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. That is false. 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 show said in a statement.
The Trump campaign released a statement responding to the denial, saying “60 Minutes just admitted to doing exactly what President Trump accused them of doing. They edited in a different response – from another part of her answer – to make Kamala Harris sound less incoherent than she really was. Their statement is not a denial, it is an admission that they did exactly what they were accused of,” adding “This is another reminder of how hopelessly biased 60 Minutes is, and how correct President Trump was to decline their invitation to be subjected to their fake news hackery. Release the Transcript!”
Pressure Mounts
Former CBS News correspondent Catherine Herridge said on X that “Releasing the full unedited transcript is consistent with journalistic transparency and it stands behind the integrity of the entire Kamala Harris edit, not just the clips under scrutiny,” adding “CBS has the ability to immediately settle these questions and address merits of FCC complaint alleging “news distortion.””
Herridge also notes that “there is ample precedent” for the network to release the full, unedited transcripts, citing interviews with both President Trump, former AG Bill Barr, and Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
We’re guessing that won’t see the light of day before the election.