The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the transcript of a “60 Minutes” interview with former US vice president Kamala Harris on Wednesday. This interview has been the focus of a lawsuit between CBS and former President Donald Trump.
The transcript shows that Harris gave a detailed answer to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. About 21 seconds of her response were aired in a preview on “Face the Nation,” and a different seven-second part was shown the next day in the “60 Minutes” episode.
After the interview aired, Trump sued CBS in Texas, claiming that “60 Minutes” edited the interview deceptively to interfere with the election. Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the network.
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Trump and conservative critics have highlighted the significant differences between the answers given by the Democratic presidential candidate about the Gaza war that were aired during a promo for the interview on “Face the Nation” and what was shown on “60 Minutes” the following day on October 7.
In a question from “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker about what the US can do to stop the war from spinning out of control, Harris provides a rambling 140-word answer, according to the full transcript.
“Well, let’s start with October 7th. Because obviously, what we do now must be in the context of what has happened. And as I reflect on a year ago, and that 1,200 people were massacred, young people at a festival, at a music festival, 250 hostages were taken, including Americans, women were brutally raped,” Harris began.
“And as I said then, I maintain Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. And as we fast forward into what we have seen in the ensuing weeks and months, far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. And we know that, and I think most agree, this war has to end. And that has to be our number one imperative, and that has been our number one imperative. How can we get this war to end?”
The version that was broadcast showed a succinct 56-word reply.
“Well, let’s start with October 7th. Twelve hundred people were massacred, 250 hostages were taken, including Americans. Women were brutally raped. And as I said then, I maintain Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. This war has to end,” Harris said.
However, “60 Minutes” clarified that it did nothing wrong, explaining that it is common for news organizations to use excerpts from full interviews for brevity in news articles or broadcasts.
CBS News and the FCC posted the interview transcript at nearly the same time. CBS said in a statement that the transcript proves the “60 Minutes” broadcast “was not doctored or deceitful.” The statement added, “As the full transcript shows, we edited the interview to ensure that as much of the vice president’s answers to 60 Minutes’ many questions were included in our original broadcast while fairly representing those answers.”
The FCC’s chair, Brendan Carr, requested the transcript after a complaint about news distortion was filed with the agency. Carr mentioned that the complaint could be considered during the FCC’s review of a multibillion-dollar merger between Paramount, CBS’ parent company, and Skydance, a Hollywood studio backed by David Ellison. Carr said the FCC would seek public comment on the complaint, stating, “the people will have a chance to weigh in.”
Anna M Gomez, a Democratic FCC commissioner, said the transcript and raw footage of the interview “provide no evidence” that CBS violated FCC rules. She added, “Having now seen these materials, I see no reason to continue pursuing this investigation. The FCC should now move to dismiss this fishing expedition to avoid further politicizing our enforcement actions.”
Paramount executives are seeking a settlement in Trump’s lawsuit, hoping it will help finalize the merger with Skydance. However, the lawsuit has caused concern at CBS, where many staff members believe a settlement would be seen as a symbolic concession to Trump and an admission of wrongdoing by “60 Minutes.” Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” said he would not apologize to Trump as part of any settlement.
CBS is not the only news organization under scrutiny by Carr. Last week, he ordered an investigation into NPR and PBS over their use of corporate sponsorships, alleging that their stations violated rules prohibiting advertising.
