Former President Donald Trump filed a $10 million lawsuit against media giant CBS, claiming the network's editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris was deceitful and misleading.
Trump claims CBS' interview included "partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference," which the lawsuit claims were intended to confuse the public and "attempt to tip the scales" toward Democrats in the 2024 presidential election. Specifically, he claims CBS aired two different versions of Harris' response to a question about the Israel-Hamas war -- one on "60 Minutes" and a different one on "Face The Nation."
It should be noted that many consider this legal action a matter of Trump attempting to lay groundwork for legal challenges, or at least rhetorical challenges, if Harris wins the election.
CBS has denied allegations of doing anything improper, stating that the interview was not doctored and that different portions of Harris's response were used for clarity and to meet time constraints in a 21-minute segment. Many have noted that Trump's own interviews have always been edited the same way.
For his part, Trump also reportedly canceled a planned appearance on "60 Minutes" because they would fact check him. He later said he had never agreed to appear.
Trump's lawsuit requests a full jury trial in addition to the monetary damages. The lawsuit also seeks for CBS to be barred from posting the interview with Harris, and be required to share the entire unedited video and a transcript of Harris' full interview.
The lawsuit has drawn criticism from legal experts, who argue it is a misuse of the law and an attempt to control the media. As for why it was filed in Texas, a place with no obvious ties to Trump, CBS or the interview, the Washington Post wrote that the location is because "Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a Trump nominee, is the sole judge.”
CBS says it will "vigorously defend the suit" and adds that Trump's repeated claims against "60 Minutes" are false and that the Interview was not doctored.