60 Minutes responds to Trump's accusation that Harris' interview was edited
Washington DC - The CBS program 60 Minutes recently responded to Donald Trump's repeated claims that the show edited its recent interview with his rival, Kamala Harris.
On Sunday evening, the famed news show issued a statement arguing that Trump's accusation of "deceitful editing" 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 explained.
"When we edit any interview... we strive to be clear, accurate, and on point," the statement continued.
"The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide-ranging 21-minute-long segment."
On October 7, Harris did a pre-election interview with the show, which candidates of both major political parties have done for "more than half a century."
In an unprecedented move, Trump himself turned down the chance to do a parallel interview and was heavily critical of Harris' performance, describing her as "completely inept."
He has since repeatedly pushed the unfounded claim that Harris' interview was edited, which he described as "the greatest fraud in broadcast history" and "totally illegal," and has even called for CBS to lose their broadcasting license because of it.
Donald Trump takes aim at media companies
Since Trump entered the political arena, he has had a fraught relationship with the media, particularly outlets and reporters that disagree with him, challenge his claims, or share stories that paint him in a bad light.
Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump has called on such outlets to be shut down. In response to his demand, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) described his calls as "threats against free speech" and explained the agency does not revoke licenses "because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage."
60 Minutes concluded their statement by saying their "long-standing invitation to former President Trump remains open," adding they "would be happy to have him on."
Cover photo: MANDEL NGAN / AFP