CBS News Refuses To Release Harris Interview Transcript Despite Demand From House Speaker

CBS News is persisting in refusing to release the full transcript of Vice President Harris’ pre-taped interview with “60 Minutes” as pressure grows over complaints it is “selectively” editing interviews to help Democrats and hurt Republicans.For more than a week since the “60 Minutes” interview aired, CBS News has refused to bow to pressure for it to release the full transcript. The controversy started after CBS clumsily released three clips from the interview in which Ms. Harris gave three different answers to the same question about Israel.Television news operations routinely edit pre-taped interviews for length and clarity, but CBS made the mistake of releasing multiple clips of the same question – one as a preview on “Face the Nation”, one released online by “Face the Nation”, and then the final interview broadcast on “60 Minutes – exposing the manipulation. Furthermore, Ms. Harris has been under scrutiny for answering questions with “word salad”, and CBS has been accused of editing the interview to make her sound coherent.Calls for the full transcript to be released picked up steam after House Speaker Johnson demanded the release of the transcript on Tuesday, shortly after accusing the network of selectively editing his own s interview with “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan.Speaker Mike Johnson appears on CBS News ‘Face the Nation’ on Sunday. CBS NewsAfter criticizing the network for slicing roughly nine minutes off his 15-minute interview to hurt Republicans and help Democrats when it aired on “Face the Nation,” Mr. Johnson posted on X that CBS should release the “FULL Kamala tapes.”An attorney, Shawn Cowles, shared Mr. Johnson’s post and asked, “What is CBS hiding?”The executive director of Right on Crime, Brett Tolman, wrote, “#ReleaseTheTranscript.”Radio host Casey Hendrickson commented on a CBS News article about more than 200 doctors and healthcare professionals saying President Trump should release his medical records and asked, “While you are publishing this filth @CBSNews under the guise of ‘transparency’ … how about releasing the full Kamala Harris transcripts that you always release for any Republican you interview on @60Minutes? Go ahead, show some intellectual honesty.”CBS Mornings’ Tony Dokoupil interviews Ta-Nehisi Coates. CBS NewsDuring the “60 Minutes” interview, Ms. Harris was asked why Prime Minister Netanyahu does not seem to be heeding the warnings or wishes of American officials.In a preview excerpt broadcast by “Face the Nation” on October 6, she responded, “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”However, in the version of the interview that aired on October 7, she answered the question more coherently, saying, “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”A third edit also surfaced, posted by the “Face the Nation” X handle, which included yet another answer from Ms. Harris, with a portion that did not air on TV. In the third version, the vice president spoke about America’s efforts to help Israel defend itself from attacks from Iran. She said it is America’s “imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those types of attacks.”Shari Redstone attends a NYC Special Screening Event of We Will Dance Again at Temple Emanu-El on September 18, 2024 at New York City. Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Paramount+In the absence of an explanation for the edits, many Americans want CBS News to release the full transcript, which could give her answers in the interview clips a fuller context and explain why those editing decisions were made. A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found that 85 percent of respondents think CBS News should release the full transcript of Ms. Harris’ interview.As the controversy swirled over Ms. Harris’ interview, Mr. Johnson wrote on X, “CBS has been under fire for selectively editing their interviews to PROMOTE Democrats and UNDERMINE Republicans. Yesterday, they chose to cut FIVE important minutes out of my nearly 15 minute interview. You can be the judge as to why.”In part of the interview, the House speaker addressed the Biden administration’s handling of Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The version that aired on “Face the Nation” excluded details about his trip to North Carolina and what he heard from people on the ground. It also lacked his criticism of the Biden administration and Mr. Johnson’s added context about his comments regarding Americans’ concerns about noncitizens voting. CBS News did not respond to a request for comment on the calls to release the transcript of Ms. Harris’ interview by publication time. However, the network has pointed to the full transcript of Mr. Johnson’s interview online. CBS News has been denounced by President Trump for its editing of the ’60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris interview. CBS NewsBesides scrutiny of CBS News’ handling of the Harris and Johnson interviews, the outgoing owner of its parent company, Parament Global, has been expressing her displeasure with the Tiffany Network’s liberal and anti-Israel bias. The controlling shareholder of Paramount Global, Shari Redstone, issued a rare public rebuke of CBS News’ leadership after it said a recent interview conducted by one of its morning anchors, Tony Dokoupil, with bestselling author Ta-Nehisi Coates, did not meet its editorial standards.Ms. Redstone said at the Advertising Week conference at New York City last week that the executives made a “mistake” and that she called Mr. Dokoupil to praise him for how he handled the interview.While the public rebuke was rare, the Wall Street Journal reported that Ms. Redstone, who is Jewish and a vocal supporter of Israel, has privately shared her belief that CBS News was not being balanced enough with its overall coverage of the Middle East. In one example, she reportedly reached out to network executives to express her displeasure with a segment on “Face the Nation” that was critical of Israel after a strike killed seven aid workers.CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon is under pressure amid the exposition of anti-Israel and pro-Kamala Harris bias at the Tiffany Network. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, FileThe Paramount chairwoman also has sent executives at the network clips from other outlets that she felt offered a more balanced view of the conflict, the Journal reported. Ms. Redstone’s comments to CBS News executives reportedly predate the current crises plaguing the network or the Israel-Hamas war. However, they are being exposed as the network has come under fire not just for its alleged liberal bias or its handling of Mr. Dokoupil’s interview but also for an anti-Israel bias in the news division. Last week, the Free Press reported that a CBS News’ standards executive instructed news employees not to say that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel because “Palestinians claim East Jerusalem—occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war—as the capital of a future state.” The Free Press later reported that the day after Hamas’ October 7 on Israel, the network cautioned its employees against calling Hamas members terrorists.

CBS News Refuses To Release Harris Interview Transcript Despite Demand From House Speaker

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