FCC releases full transcript of Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview and Trump's lawsuit is expanded

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) put former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on the ropes by releasing the full video and transcript of her interview  with CBS on its famous "60 Minutes" program.

Following the release of the material, questions emerged about the network's editing decisions, and Donald Trump expanded the million-dollar lawsuit he filed against the network in October 2024. In it, he alleges that the interview with Harris, who was a presidential candidate at the time, was manipulated to give her a positive image and constituted "election interference."

The lawsuit now includes Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, and the Paramount+ streaming service on which the interview was broadcast. Trump's lawyers amended their lawsuit to include multiple excerpts from the unedited transcript, pointing out that the interview was edited to help the Democratic candidate.

According to the New York Post, Trump's lawsuit notes that "once Defendants finally released the unedited version of the Interview, it became apparent that they had engaged in gross broadcast distortion cover-up and manipulated not only Harris’s Reply about Prime Minister Netanyahu, but the Interview in its entirety."

FCC Director Brendan Carr noted in a communication that a docket will be opened on the matter: “Given the value of transparency and demonstrated interest in this ongoing FCC matter, the FCC has determined that the public interest would be served by making the transcript and video available and by opening a docket to seek comment on the issues that have been raised."

He continued, “We have concluded that establishing this docket would, in this case, permit broader public participation and thereby serve the public interest.”

On Thursday, President Trump, on his Truth Social account, accused CBS and the "60 Minutes" program  of defrauding the public and trying to change the election by substituting answers in the interview. The Republican leader indicated that CBS should lose its license and that all tricksters on the "60 Minutes program" should be let go.

The Republican ended his post by saying that many more questions will come and that this will be the biggest scandal in the history of broadcasting.

For its part, the news network noted that they had edited the interview with Harris due to time and space issues. On its official website, CBS stated that "In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, space or clarity. In making these edits."

One interview, different versions

According to the full transcript of the interview, when interviewer Bill Whitaker what the United States could do to keep the war from getting out of control, the Democrat gave a 140-word convoluted answer.

Harris replied, "Well, let’s start with October 7th. Because obviously, what we do now must be in the context of what has happened. And as I reflect on a year ago, and that 1,200 people were massacred, young people at a festival, at a music festival, 250 hostages were taken, including Americans, women were brutally raped.”

She continued, "and as I said then, I maintain Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. And as we fast forward into what we have seen in the ensuing weeks and months, far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. And we know that, and I think most agree, this war has to end. And that has to be our number one imperative, and that has been our number one imperative. How can we get this war to end?"

However, the broadcasted version showed a succinct answer of just 56 words: "Well, let’s start with October 7th. Twelve hundred people were massacred, 250 hostages were taken, including Americans. Women were brutally raped. And as I said then, I maintain Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And how it does so matters. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. This war has to end."

Another question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seems to be "charting his own course," the reporter asked, "Does the U.S. have no sway over Prime Minister Netanyahu?" To which the Democrat in the transcript replied:

"Well, let’s start with this. On this subject, the aid that we have given Israel allowed Israel to defend itself against 200 ballistic missiles that were just meant to attack the Israelis, and the people of Israel. And I think that is the most recent example of why what we do to assist in their defense around military aid is important. And when we think about the threat that Hamas, Hezbollah presents Iran, I think that it is without any question our imperative to do what we can to allow Israel to defend itself against those kinds of attacks."

She added, "Now, the work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles, which include the need for humanitarian aid, the need for this war to end, the need for a deal to be done which would release the hostages, and create a cease-fire. And we’re not going to stop in terms of putting that pressure on Israel, and in the region, including with other leaders in the region, including Arab leaders."

However, Harris' televised response was reduced to just 20 words: "the work that we do diplomatically with the leadership of Israel is an ongoing pursuit around making clear our principles."

Moreover, when the reporter pointed out that Netanyahu has rejected nearly every request from the Biden-Harris administration, the Democrat responded on the broadcast: “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.”

While in the unedited version, Harris says: "Well, Bill, 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. And we’re not going to stop doing that. 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."