EXCLUSIVE – Former President Trump sent a letter to CBS News demanding it release the unedited transcript of its “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, Fox News Digital has learned.
In a copy of the letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Trump’s legal counsel Edward Andrew Paltzik, writing on behalf of Trump, said that CBS News “intentionally misled the public by broadcasting a skillfully edited interview transcript… aimed at causing confusion among the electorate regarding Vice President Kamala Harris’s abilities, intelligence, and appeal.”
“News organizations such as CBS have a responsibility to accurately represent the truth of events, not distort an interview to try and make their preferred candidate appear coherent and decisive, which Harris most certainly is not,” the attorney wrote. “Due to CBS’ actions, the public cannot distinguish which Kamala Harris they are seeing: the candidate or the puppet of a behind-the-scenes editor.”
TRUMP CAMPAIGN FIRES BACK AT ‘60 MINUTES’ AFTER SHOW DEFENDS KAMALA HARRIS EDITING ‘NOT A DENIAL’
Former President Trump is threatening to take legal action against CBS News over the editing of its “60 Minutes” interview of Vice President Kamala Harris. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The letter comes after “60 Minutes” released a statement declaring Trump’s accusation that it deceptively edited the Harris interview as “false.” But Trump’s legal team has doubled down.
“President Trump is rightly alleging that CBS’s ‘doctoring’ of Harris’s answers on 60 Minutes was deceptive. The allegation is not simply that CBS was dishonest; it is that CBS deceived viewers into thinking Harris’ answer was, at the very least—as CBS put it—more ‘succinct’ than the word salad it actually was,” Paltzik wrote. “The executives and producers at CBS, and 60 Minutes in particular, are unquestionably aware that the purpose behind editing the Interview was to confuse the electorate and portray the Vice President in a better light than a full, unedited transcript would reveal. Responsible news sources must be held accountable to the highest standards.”
“We therefore demand that you immediately provide and publicly release the full, unedited transcript of the 60 Minutes Interview with Kamala Harris. Additionally, in contemplation of possible litigation, we demand that you preserve all communications and documents relating to this Interview, together with any edits of the Interview’s content, and that you refrain from destroying any relevant communications or documents. Kindly confirm receipt of this letter within 48 hours and further confirm your intention to cooperate with these demands,” the letter continued.
CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
CBS NEWS BREAKS ITS SILENCE OVER EDITING ALLEGATIONS IN ’60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW WITH HARRIS
CBS News is facing mounting pressure to release the unedited transcript of its “60 Minutes” Kamala Harris interview. (Getty Images)
“60 Minutes” attempted to explain the discrepancy between what aired during a preview clip on “Face The Nation” and what aired during its primetime election special the next day.
“60 Minutes gave an excerpt of our interview to Face the Nation that used a longer section of her answer than that on 60 Minutes. Same question. Same answer. But a different portion of the response,” the network said on Sunday. “When we edit any interview, whether a politician, an athlete, or movie star, we strive to be clear, accurate and on point. The portion of her answer on 60 Minutes was more succinct, which allows time for other subjects in a wide ranging 21-minute-long segment.”
CBS News appeared to swipe the former president for not sitting down with “60 Minutes,” writing “Remember, Mr. Trump pulled out of his interview with 60 Minutes and the vice president participated,” adding that their invitation for an interview remains open.
‘60 MINUTES’ UNDER FIRE FOR KAMALA HARRIS EDITING DECISION, HAS HISTORY OF LIBERAL CONTROVERSIES
CBS News raised eyebrows for releasing two versions of exchange “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker had with Vice President Kamala Harris.” (Screenshots/CBS News)
Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy “word salad” when she was asked why it seemed like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S.
“Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region,” Harris responded in the “Face the Nation” clip.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
However, a shorter, more focused answer from the vice president was shown to the same question the following night.
“We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” Harris said in the primetime special.
Trump took to Truth Social earlier on Monday writing “When will CBS release their Transcript of the fraudulent Interview with Comrade Kamala Harris? They changed her answer in order to make Kamala look intelligent, rather than “dumb as a rock.” This may be the Biggest Scandal in Broadcast History! CBS MUST GET THE TRANSCRIPT OUT NOW — Litigation has already started. Harris wasn’t able to put two sentences together, so they completely removed her answer, and put in another one. The Public has a right to know what was changed to save this TOTALLY UNFIT Presidential Candidate from our Country’s Voters. SHE IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!: