CBS hits back at Trump's legal threat citing First Amendment rights: 'We decline' to release full transcript

CBS News fired backmost astatine erstwhile President Trump's ineligible menace against the web implicit its "60 Minutes" interrogation with Vice President Kamala Harris, insisting helium has nary ineligible lasting arsenic CBS News is protected by the First Amendment. 

Earlier this week, Fox News Digital archetypal reported connected the missive Trump's lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik sent to CBS News connected behalf of his lawsuit demanding the web merchandise the afloat transcript of the "60 Minutes" interrogation aft the web aired 2 antithetic answers to the aforesaid question. Trump's lawyer besides asked CBS to sphere each documents and communications related to the interrogation pending a imaginable ineligible battle.

CBS News has refused to merchandise the afloat transcript, according to a missive that CBS News sent to Paltzik successful effect that has been obtained by Fox News Digital. 

"Your missive connected behalf of Mr. Trump is based connected the faulty premise that 60 MINUTES distorted its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris ('the Interview') successful bid to contiguous her successful a positive light. That, arsenic 60 MINUTES has said successful its Statement, is false," CBS News' elder vice president of ineligible affairs Gayle C. Sproul began her missive connected Wednesday to Paltzik.

TRUMP SENDS LETTER TO CBS DEMANDING UNEDITED ‘60 MINUTES’ HARRIS TRANSCRIPT, TEASES POTENTIAL LAWSUIT

CBS News fired backmost astatine erstwhile President Trump's attorney, scoffing astatine his request for the web to merchandise the afloat transcript of its "60 Minutes" interrogation with Vice President Kamala Harris.  (Getty Images)

The web rejected Trump's assertion that it "conceded" that it had "doctored" the Harris interrogation to mislead the American people, insisting "The Interview was not doctored" and the programme "did not fell immoderate portion of the Vice President’s reply to the question astatine issue."

"60 MINUTES reasonably presented the Interview to pass the viewing audience, and not to mislead it. Indeed, your contention that 60 MINUTES acted nefariously is wholly unfounded," Sproul wrote. 

"Instead, the Interview was edited for clip with the purpose of allowing the nationalist to perceive from the Vice President connected arsenic galore subjects arsenic imaginable successful a 21-minute interview," she continued. "Editing is simply a necessity for all broadcasters to alteration them to contiguous the quality successful the clip available, and that is what 60 MINUTES did here, arsenic it does with its different reports."

FLASHBACK: CBS NEWS RELEASED A ‘FULL TRANSCRIPT’ OF VP HARRIS INTERVIEW IN 2021 THAT DIDN'T AIR ENTIRELY ON TV

CBS past cited the First Amendment and declined to merchandise the unedited transcript contempt wide calls to bash so. 

"The First Amendment fiercely protects these editorial judgments… For that reason, nary backstage close of enactment exists present and I enactment that you bash not place one. Nor is determination immoderate ineligible ground for your request that we provide you with the unedited transcript of the Interview, which we diminution to do," Sproul continued. 

Steven Cheung, spokesperson for the Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital: "As President Trump stated - CBS committed the worst wrongdoing successful broadcast past erstwhile they maliciously and deceptively doctored Lyin’ Kamala Harris’ pathetic 60 Minutes interview. CBS is connected announcement to sphere their documents."

Former President Trump dramatically called the "60 Minutes" contention perchance the "biggest ungraded successful broadcast history." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The contention stemmed from an speech Harris had with "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker. In a preview clip that aired connected "Face The Nation," Harris was asked wherefore it seemed similar Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S. 

"Well, Bill, the enactment that we person done has resulted successful a fig of movements successful that portion by Israel that were precise overmuch prompted by, oregon a effect of, galore things, including our advocacy for what needs to hap successful the region," Harris responded successful the "Face the Nation" clip. 

CBS NEWS STATEMENT ON CONTROVERSIAL ’60 MINUTES’ EDIT FALLS FLAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 'PUBLISH. THE. TRANSCRIPT.'

Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy "word salad" to Whitaker. But erstwhile that aforesaid question aired the pursuing nighttime successful the primetime predetermination special, it aired a shorter, much focused answer from the vice president.

"We are not going to halt pursuing what is indispensable for the United States to beryllium wide astir wherever we basal connected the request for this warfare to end," Harris said successful the primetime special. 

CBS News raised eyebrows by releasing 2 versions of an speech "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker had with Vice President Kamala Harris. (Screenshots/CBS News)

Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" reply to shield the vice president from further backlash and determination has been increasing calls for the web to merchandise the afloat transcript aft it lone shared transcripts of what had aired. 

However, CBS News did merchandise its afloat transcript of its 2021 interrogation with Harris, which included exchanges that did not marque it to air. 

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Trump dramatically called it perchance the "biggest ungraded successful broadcast history" successful a connection posted to X.

On Sunday, CBS News released a statement saying Trump’s assertion that "deceitful editing" was utilized is "false," and explained that producers utilized a "more succinct" information of Harris’ answer. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.