The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has strongly criticized Donald Trump after the former president demanded that CBS have its broadcasting license revoked for airing an edited segment from a primetime interview with Kamala Harris.
Trump also accused the network of being a “threat to democracy” and suggested that other broadcasters should have their licenses taken away as well.
In an intense attack that raised concerns about press freedom if he were to be re-elected, Trump labeled CBS as part of a “massive fake news scam” for airing a shorter, more direct version of Harris’s response regarding Israel on 60 Minutes, compared to what had been shown in the promotional trailer.
Trump argued that the difference between the two versions proved CBS and the Democrats were working together to commit “election interference” ahead of the upcoming presidential election and declared both entities as “threats to democracy.”
Jessica Rosenworcel, the FCC chair, condemned Trump’s remarks as “threats to free speech,” noting that broadcast licenses cannot be revoked simply because a candidate disapproves of the content being aired.
In the interview aired Monday, Bill Whitaker questioned Harris about whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens to U.S. advice on Gaza. Harris responded by 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.”
Critics from the right quickly pointed out that the trailer had featured a less concise answer, which they mocked as typical of Harris’s “word salad” style of speaking.
In the trailer, Harris had said: “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.”
Both clips were part of Harris’s broader remarks on supporting Israel while trying to influence its conduct in the war against Hamas in Gaza, where over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed. The interview aired on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 Israelis and 250 hostages taken.
Neither CBS nor the Harris campaign has addressed the controversy, though the different versions appear to be the result of normal editing practices used by 60 Minutes.
Nevertheless, Trump took to Truth Social, accusing the network of trying to make Harris look more articulate in an attempt to influence the upcoming election.
“A giant Fake News Scam by CBS & 60 Minutes,” Trump posted. “Her REAL ANSWER WAS CRAZY, OR DUMB, so they actually REPLACED it with another answer in order to save her or, at least, make her look better. A FAKE NEWS SCAM, which is totally illegal. TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. Election Interference.”
Later, Trump continued his tirade, writing: “CBS should lose its license, and it should be bid out to the Highest Bidder, as should all other Broadcast Licenses, because they are just as corrupt as CBS – and maybe even WORSE!”
He also claimed that 60 Minutes edits his statements in an opposite way to Harris’s, saying, “With me, 60 Minutes does the exact opposite! They take everything I say, realize how totally BRILLIANT it is, and take it out. So, with Kamala they add, with ‘TRUMP,’ they delete. Like the Democrat Party, THEY ARE A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!”
This was likely a reference to Trump’s decision to withdraw from a 60 Minutes interview he had agreed to, after his team offered varying reasons for the cancellation, including objections to fact-checking and demands for an apology over a previous interview from 2020.
Trump’s calls to cancel broadcasters’ licenses are not new. Last month, he demanded that ABC lose its license after hosting a debate between him and Harris, which was widely seen as a victory for Harris. He also made similar demands during his presidency, repeatedly attacking the media as “enemies of the people” and calling for journalists to be jailed for refusing to reveal sources.
However, Rosenworcel reiterated that such threats are a direct challenge to the First Amendment, which protects free speech. She stated, “These threats against free speech are serious and should not be ignored. The FCC does not and will not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage.”
