Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, filed a lawsuit seeking $10 billion from CBS News and “60 Minutes,” alleging the venerable newsmagazine’s interview of his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, was used to mislead voters in the middle of the 2924 election.
A version of the interview that aired during the actual “60 Minutes” broadcast on Oct. 6 did not include what the lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Northern District of Texas, alleges was an inarticulate response to a question about the current conflict between Israel and Hamas that had been shown during earlier “teases” of the interview that were shown in other CBS News programs that aired earlier. Trump’s lawsuit alleges CBS edited the clips in a way meant to boost Harris, something CBS News has denied.
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CBS News, in a statement, said the interview had not been doctored, and said the suit was “completely without merit.”
“Former President Trump’s repeated claims against ’60 Minutes’ are false,” CBS News said, noting that the show “fairly presented the interview to inform the viewing audience, and not to mislead it.”
“60 Minutes” presented an interview with Harris in October. Trump had initially agreed to a similar exchange, then pulled out of it.
Trump has a history of harassing established media outlets through use of publicity stunts, social-media accusations, remarks made in speeches, and legal action. He has in the past cast criticism at MSNBC, ABC News, CNN and Fox News Channel.
Trump’s lawsuit also calls for a jury trial.
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