FCC chair calls CBS News' conduct 'hard to explain' following release of Kamala Harris interview transcript

Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr knocked CBS News' behaviour pursuing the merchandise of the network's unedited transcript of its "60 Minutes" interrogation with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

The FCC released the earthy transcript and footage it obtained from CBS News of its October 2024 sit-down with Harris that has been astatine the halfway of controversy. 

"CBS's behaviour is hard to explain," Carr told Fox News Digital. "On the 1 hand, CBS instantly released the unredacted transcript of a caller interrogation with Vice President Vance. Yet for months they refused to merchandise the 1 with Vice President Harrris."

Carr referred to CBS News' releasing the transcript of "Face the Nation" anchor Margaret Brennan's interrogation with Vice President JD Vance past month.

FCC RELEASES CBS NEWS' RAW ‘60 MINUTES’ TRANSCRIPT FROM KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEW

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said CBS News' behaviour is "hard to explain" pursuing the merchandise of the earthy transcript and footage of the network's "60 Minutes" interrogation with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

"The FCC has present opened up a proceeding and is seeking nationalist remark connected the News Distortion complaint. Transparency present is important. The FCC’s reappraisal volition continue, and we look guardant to the public’s feedback," Carr added. 

CBS News did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's petition for comment. 

The earthy transcript showed CBS News had aired lone the archetypal fractional of her effect to "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker's question astir Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not "listening" to the Biden medication successful a preview clip that aired connected "Face the Nation," but aired lone the 2nd fractional of her effect during the primetime special. 

"But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening," Whitaker said successful the exchange. "The Wall Street Journal said that helium -- that your medication has repeatedly been blindsided by Netanyahu, and successful fact, helium has rebuffed conscionable astir each of your administration's entreaties."

"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. And we're not going to halt doing that. 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 responded. 

‘60 MINUTES’ TRANSCRIPT AT CENTER OF TRUMP'S LAWSUIT AGAINST CBS IS VITAL TO INVESTIGATION, FCC CHAIR SAYS

CBS News separately released the earthy transcript and unedited footage from the interrogation on its website. 

"We are posting the aforesaid transcripts and videos of our interrogation with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC. They amusement – accordant with 60 Minutes' repeated assurances to the nationalist – that the 60 Minutes broadcast was not doctored oregon deceitful," CBS News wrote. In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, abstraction oregon clarity. In making these edits, 60 Minutes is ever guided by the information and what we judge volition beryllium astir informative to the viewing nationalist – each portion moving wrong the constraints of broadcast television."  

The web went connected to accidental it aired a "longer portion" of Harris' reply connected "Face the Nation" portion airing a "shorter excerpt" during the primetime peculiar without acknowledging that nary of what aired successful the preview clip was featured connected "60 Minutes."

"As the afloat transcript shows, we edited the interrogation to guarantee that arsenic overmuch of the vice president's answers to 60 Minutes' galore questions were included successful our archetypal broadcast portion reasonably representing those answers. 60 Minutes' hard-hitting questions of the vice president talk for themselves," CBS News added.

The earthy transcript showed CBS aired 2 antithetic portions of the aforesaid effect then-Vice President Kamala Harris gave to "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker. (Screenshots/CBS News)

Carr ordered CBS News to manus implicit the unedited transcript arsenic portion of its probe into whether the web violated the FCC's "news distortion" argumentation aft a ailment was filed.

"The argumentation says you can't swap answers retired to marque it look similar idiosyncratic said thing wholly different," Carr told Fox News' Dana Perino connected Monday, aboriginal adding it would person been "fine" if it was edited for magnitude and clarity.

In a preview clip that aired connected "Face the Nation," Whitaker asked his Netanyahu question to Harris astir him not "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. 

‘60 MINUTES’ TRANSCRIPT AT CENTER OF TRUMP'S LAWSUIT AGAINST CBS IS VITAL TO INVESTIGATION, FCC CHAIR SAYS

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, a shorter, much focused answer from the vice president followed.

"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.

Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" answer to shield the vice president from further backlash, and determination were calls for the web to merchandise the afloat transcript aft it lone shared transcripts of what had aired. CBS News refused to merchandise the earthy transcript astatine the time.

President Trump filed a suit against CBS News alleging predetermination interference implicit the airing of 2 responses that aired from the "60 Minutes" interrogation with Harris. (Left: (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images), Center: Screenshot/60Minutes, Right: (Photo by Andy Manis/Getty Images))

In October, Trump filed a $10 cardinal suit against CBS News alleging predetermination interference implicit its handling of the "60 Minutes" interview, accusing the web of aiding his Democratic rival done deceptive editing conscionable days earlier the election. 

"To insubstantial implicit Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS utilized its nationalist level connected 60 Minutes to transverse the enactment from the workout of judgement successful reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news," the suit stated.

Trump attorneys argued the edits were done successful an effort to "attempt to extremity the scales successful favour of the Democratic Party arsenic the heated 2024 Presidential Election — which President Trump is starring — approaches its conclusion."

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"CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of predetermination and elector interference done malicious, deceptive, and important quality distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public," the suit read. 

CBS genitor institution Paramount Global is reportedly considering settling the suit up of a planned merger with Skydance Media successful hopes of preventing imaginable retribution by Trump's FCC, which has the authorization to halt the multibillion-dollar transaction. Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is reportedly successful favour of settling with the president.