The Kamala Harris campaign has quickly distanced itself from the controversy sparked by the recent airing of her interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes. Amid criticism from Donald Trump and others, the campaign clarified that it had no control over CBS’s editorial decisions.
Differing Edits Cause Uproar
The controversy arose after two different versions of Harris’s response to a question about U.S. influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surfaced online. In a teaser clip released prior to the interview, Harris gave a more extensive response, discussing Israel’s defense efforts, the threats posed by Hamas and Hezbollah, and the ongoing U.S. diplomatic pressure. However, when the full interview aired on Oct. 7, her answer was significantly shortened.
This discrepancy quickly fueled debate on social media, with side-by-side comparisons of the two versions circulating widely. Trump took to Truth Social, accusing CBS of manipulating the edits to make Harris appear “more Presidential.” He even called for an investigation into the network’s practices.
Campaign’s Response to the Scandal
In response to the backlash, an aide from the Harris campaign issued a statement to Variety, distancing the campaign from the network’s editorial choices. “We do not control CBS’s production decisions and refer questions to CBS,” the statement read, emphasizing that the campaign had no involvement in the editing process.
Despite the Harris campaign’s attempts to deflect blame, the incident has prompted broader discussions about media transparency and the ethics of editing political interviews. Critics have demanded the release of the full transcript to allow for a clearer understanding of Harris’s complete response.
Trump’s Withdrawal from ’60 Minutes’
The controversy surrounding Harris’s interview also comes on the heels of a related incident. CBS News revealed that Trump withdrew from his own 60 Minutes interview, scheduled with correspondent Scott Pelley. According to CBS, the Trump campaign expressed concerns about the network’s fact-checking, prompting them to back out of the interview. However, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung denied that anything had been scheduled or agreed upon. This marks a rare occurrence, as 2024 is the first general election year since 1968 where neither presidential candidate sat down for an October 60 Minutes interview.
The 60 Minutes editing issue, combined with Trump’s withdrawal, has highlighted tensions between political campaigns and the media in the final stretch of the 2024 election. As the Harris campaign distances itself from the controversy, CBS remains under pressure to explain the editorial decisions that fueled the debate.