Kamala Harris knows she’s in real trouble. Her internal polling is horrible. She’s struggling to capture the imagination of the public. And now, she’s battling reports that CBS deliberately edited her 60 Minutes interview to make her look good.
At this point, there’s nothing she can do to win, is there?
At a glance:
- The Kamala Harris campaign has distanced itself from a controversy regarding edits to her “60 Minutes” interview.
- Donald Trump accused CBS of manipulating Harris’ response to make her appear “more Presidential” and demanded an apology.
- CBS has yet to comment, while the Harris campaign emphasized they do not control the network’s production decisions.
The Kamala Harris campaign is responding to criticism over edits made to her interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, distancing itself from the controversy after former President Donald Trump accused the network of manipulating the footage. The issue stems from two different versions of Harris’ response to a question about U.S. influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which aired in different formats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJys7OVH24E
In a teaser released online and aired on Face the Nation on October 6, Harris provided a detailed response to correspondent Bill Whitaker’s question about whether the U.S. has sway over Netanyahu. In this longer version, Harris discussed U.S. aid to Israel, the defense against missile attacks, and the diplomatic efforts the Biden administration has made to push for a ceasefire and humanitarian aid. However, in the final interview aired on 60 Minutes on October 7, a shorter and more concise version of Harris’ response was broadcast. This shortened version omitted the discussion about U.S. aid and military support, focusing instead on the broader diplomatic efforts.
https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/1844805601937014823
Trump took to Truth Social to demand an investigation into CBS, accusing the network of airing the edited version to make Harris appear “more Presidential” than she did in the original, lengthier clip. Trump’s post called for an apology from CBS and raised questions about the transparency of the editing process.
In response to the growing criticism, a Harris campaign aide released a statement emphasizing that the campaign has no influence over CBS’s production decisions. They referred any further questions to CBS, which has yet to issue an official comment.
The controversy has sparked calls from both sides for CBS to release the full transcript of the interview, with critics suggesting the edits present an altered view of Harris’ stance. Supporters of Harris, however, have downplayed the edits, noting that both versions of her response reflect the same overarching policy goals.
In a related development, CBS noted that Trump had declined a separate interview with 60 Minutes, contrary to previous reports that an interview had been planned. The Trump campaign has stated there was never an agreement to do the interview. This marks the first general election year since 1968 where neither major presidential candidate has participated in a 60 Minutes interview in October.
The Harris campaign has sought to minimize the controversy, while the edited interviews continue to circulate on social media, where comparisons between the two versions have sparked debate among political observers.
