[Craig Nigrelli]

THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND CBS HAVE RELEASED TRANSCRIPTS OF THE NETWORK’S “60 MINUTES”
INTERVIEW WITH THEN VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS, DURING THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS SUED THE NETWORK FOR $10 BILLION, CLAIMING IT DECEPTIVELY EDITED THE INTERVIEW TO HELP HARRIS IN OCTOBER AS SHE AND TRUMP BATTLED DOWN THE HOME STRETCH OF THE RACE.
THE TRANSCRIPT SHOWS THAT HARRIS ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS WERE EDITED IN TWO SPECIFIC INSTANCES DURING THE SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW. THE FIRST WAS A RESPONSE TO A QUESTION FROM CORRESPONDENT BILL WHITAKER. HE ASKED WHAT THE UNITED STATES COULD DO TO END THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS. THE TRANSCRIPT SHOWS HARRIS GAVE A 140-WORD RESPONSE – WHAT THE NEW YORK POST DESCRIBES AS “RAMBLING.”. BUT WHEN “60 MINUTES” AIRED, EDITORS CUT DOWN HER ANSWER TO A SUCCINCT 56 WORD REPLY. HERE WAS THE ORIGINAL ANSWER, FOLLOWED BY WHAT AIRED ON 60 MINUTES.

[SOUND BYTE FROM YOU TUBE INTERVIEW, ON NY POST LINK, CAMERA POINTED AT WHITAKER, TIME CODE 04:48 TO 5:48 ]

[KAMALA HARRIS : “ “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?” ]

[SOUND BYTE FROM YOU TUBE INTERVIEW, ON , TIME CODE 01:10 TO 1:31]
[KAMALA HARRIS : “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,” ]
IN A SECOND EXAMPLE, WHITAKER ASKED VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS ABOUT ISRAELI PRESIDENT BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, CHARTING HIS OWN COURSE AND DEFYING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. THE TRANSCRIPT SHOWS HARRIS GAVE A 179-WORD ANSWER. BUT “60 MINUTES” ONLY USED 20 SECONDS IN WHICH HARRIS SAID this
[SOUND BYTE, YOU TUBE FROM 01:58 TO 2:08}

[KAMALA HARRIS“ THE WORK THAT WE DO DIPLOMATICALLY WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF ISRAEL IS AN ONGOING PURSUIT AROUND MAKING CLEAR OUR PRINCIPLES. “]
TRUMP FILED THE LAWSUIT AFTER CBS AIRED DIFFERENT RESPONSES FROM HARRIS TO THE SAME QUESTION ABOUT ISRAEL ON “FACE THE NATION” AND “60 MINUTES”. TRUMP’S LAWYERS CONTEND THAT THE EDITING AMOUNTED TO ELECTION INTERFERENCE TO MAKE HER LOOK MORE COHERENT. A CBS SOURCE TOLD THE POST, CBS DID HARRIS “ A LOT OF FAVORS”.
CBS HAS RESPONDED TO THE TRANSCRIPT RELEASE, SAYING IN A STATEMENT, “ In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, space or clarity. In making these edits, 60 Minutes is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public – all while working within the constraints of broadcast television.” It went on to say, “We broadcast a longer portion of the vice president’s answer on Face the Nation and broadcast a shorter excerpt from the same answer on 60 Minutes the next day. Each excerpt reflects the substance of the vice president’s answer.
FCC COMMISSIONER BRANDON CARR SAID THE FCC WILL HOLD HEARINGS OVER THE COMPLAINT AND THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE CHANCE TO WEIGH-IN, POSSIBLY IN MARCH. THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS THAT TRUMP AND CBS HAVE BEGUN TALKS ON A POSSIBLE SETTLEMENT. FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP