Former President Donald Trump sued CBS News in federal court in Texas alleging it violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Trump sued CBS Broadcasting Inc. in U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division alleging the network’s “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to (a) confuse, deceive, and mislead the public, and (b) attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” in the 2024 presidential election, the 19-page brief states.
The lawsuit alleges CBS News violated the Texas Business and Commerce Code and the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (DTPA) when it aired two different versions of an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
On Oct. 5 and 6, CBS News “aired two different versions of its 60 Minutes interview with Kamala” citing examples of the differences between the versions. In both clips, Harris is asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the clips include different statements by Harris.
“Millions of Americans, including residents of Texas and this District, were confused and misled by the two doctored Interview versions,” the lawsuit alleges. “President Trump commented on the matter, writing on Truth Social: ‘In normal times, what happened on 60 Minutes, (deceptively ‘doctoring’ her answers), would be THE END OF ANYONE’S CAMPAIGN! Kamala is slow, incoherent, and in no way qualified to be President of the United States. RELEASE THE TAPES FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICA. We can do it the nice way, or the hard way!”
He also called for CBS News’ broadcasting license to be rescinded.
In response to widespread criticism of the interview by multiple outlets that alleged CBS edited the interview, CBS News issued a statement, saying the accusations were false.
“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. 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,” it said.
The brief states that CBS’s statement concedes that “Trump was accurate in his assertion that the interview with Kamala was doctored to confuse, deceive, and mislead the American People in order to try and interfere in the election on behalf of Kamala.”
After the interview aired, Trump’s counsel sent a letter to CBS demanding that it “immediately provide and publicly release the full, unedited transcript of the interview,” which it declined to do.
The Center for American Rights also filed a formal broadcast distortion complaint with the Federal Elections Commission. The different versions of the interview that aired “amount to deliberate news distortion – a violation of FCC rules governing broadcasters’ public interest obligations,” CAR said. It also demanded that “CBS release the unedited transcript of the interview to set the record straight.”
Trump’s attorneys filed the lawsuit in Texas, the brief states, because the interview was aired in Texas and because CBS “engaged in substantial and not isolated business activities in Texas.” They also cite other examples, including a 2004 CBS News 60 Minutes interview in which forged documents were allegedly presented “in an attempt to impugn President George W. Bush’s integrity regarding his service in the Texas Air National Guard.” It also cited other examples of “dishonest reporting.”
The lawsuit claims the damages to Trump are between $75,000 and up to at least $10 billion, saying “CBS’ distortion of the 60 Minutes interview damaged President Trump’s fundraising and support values by several billions of dollars, particularly in Texas.”
A CBS spokesperson issued a statement saying Trump’s claims were false.
“The Interview was not doctored; and 60 MINUTES did not hide any part of the Vice President’s answer to the question at issue. 60 MINUTES fairly presented the Interview to inform the viewing audience, and not to mislead it. The lawsuit Trump has brought today against CBS is completely without merit and we will vigorously defend against it,” the spokesperson said.
