Former President Donald Trump accused CBS of altering a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to make her appear more presidential. Trump also demanded the network lose its broadcast license.
Posting on Truth Social and X, Trump called the incident “the greatest fraud in broadcast history,” sparking widespread debate and further straining his contentious relationship with the media.
The controversy began after a teaser for Harris’s Oct. 7 interview showed a sequence that differed slightly from the full broadcast. Trump accused CBS of editing Harris’s answers, claiming the network was deliberately enhancing her image.
In response, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel firmly rejected Trump’s demands, stating that broadcast licenses cannot be revoked due to political disagreements. She reiterated the FCC’s commitment to free speech and media independence, calling the First Amendment “a cornerstone of our democracy.”
The Harris campaign, meanwhile, downplayed the accusations.
“We do not control CBS’s production decisions and refer questions to CBS,” the campaign said in a statement.
This is not the first time Trump has targeted a major network. He previously called for ABC’s license to be revoked after the September 2024 presidential debate. However, the FCC maintained that media freedom remains vital, regardless of political disagreements.
