Trump Sues CBS News Over "Misleading" Interview With Harris
New York, US: Republican candidate Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against television network CBS News based in the US. Trump called it “misleading” interview with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. The law suit alleged that the network aired two different responses from Harris when responding to a question regarding war between Hamas and Israel.
The program, which was aired on October 6, did not include what the lawsuit called a “word salad” response from Harris about the Biden administration’s influence on Israel’s conduct of the war.
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Trump accused CBS of editing Harris’ response to make it seem clearer.
The lawsuit has been filed in federal court in the Texas city of Amarillo. US media reported that the Trump-appointed judge’s court had become an increasingly popular choice of lawsuits filed by Republicans.
The CBD News rejected the claims.
“Former President Trump’s repeated claims against 60 Minutes are false. The lawsuit Trump has brought today against CBS is completely without merit, and we will vigorously defend against it,” a CBS News spokesperson said.
Reportedly, the lawsuit demanded a jury trial and about $10bn in damages. It alleged violations of a Texas law barring deceptive acts in the conduct of business.
Trump has repeatedly assailed the outlet on the campaign trail over the episode and has threatened to revoke its broadcasting license if elected.
CBS also pointed out that Trump backed out of his own planned interview with 60 Minutes.
This lawsuit is just another example of the Republican candidate’s fraught relationship with the media. He has called it “fake news” and the “enemy of the people” and has often called for television stations to have their licenses revoked.
At the same time, Trump is also still willing to talk to media outlets such as Fox News that he considers ‘friendly’, and continues to give regular and often relaxed off-the-cuff news conferences during the campaign.
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The organisation Reporters Without Borders, known by its French acronym RSF (which monitors press freedom worldwide), is worried that Trump poses “an existential threat” to the media’s ability to do its job in the US.
The organisation analysed Trump’s campaign comments from September 1 to October 24, 2024, and found that he had “insulted, attacked, or threatened the media at least 108 times in public speeches or remarks.”
(With inputs from agencies.)
