Former president Donald Trump recently lodged a $10 billion legal claim against CBS News.
According to WGN TV, the lawsuit concerns the editing and broadcast of an interview on the news program “60 Minutes” featuring Vice President Kamala Harris, which aired earlier this month.
The legal filing was submitted to the U.S. District Court in the northern district of Texas. Trump's legal team asserts that the segment was deliberately altered to enhance the Vice President's image unfairly.
Trump's legal team has pointed to specific content decisions, including the network's handling of Harris's response to questions about the war in Gaza. While the full interview was conducted, certain portions were published online rather than included in the broadcast version.
CBS News follows standard broadcasting practices, which typically involve editing interviews with major political figures for clarity and time constraints. This common industry practice has become a central point of contention in the lawsuit.
From the lawsuit, Trump's team presents their perspective on CBS's editorial approach. They claim the network deliberately altered the presentation to enhance Harris's image.
The lawsuit's filing location in Amarillo, Texas, carries significant strategic importance. This choice guaranteed the case would be assigned to U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee with a notable judicial record.
Judge Kacsmaryk's previous decisions include significant rulings on controversial issues. He suspended federal approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, though this decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court.
The judge also made headlines in 2021 when he reinstated Trump's "Remain in Mexico" asylum policy. These past rulings suggest a judicial perspective that Trump's legal team may have considered favorable.
The lawsuit reveals that Trump initially agreed to participate in his own "60 Minutes" interview. However, this arrangement fell through when the program insisted on implementing fact-checking measures.
The former president expressed strong criticism of the network, suggesting severe consequences for their broadcasting practices. Trump stated that CBS should face license revocation and removal of "60 Minutes" from their programming. As stated in the lawsuit filing:
To paper over Kamala's "word salad" weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news
This legal action represents the latest development in Trump's complex relationship with mainstream media outlets. The former president has consistently challenged news coverage he perceives as unfavorable. The $10 billion damages request reflects the substantial scale of the alleged harm claimed by Trump's legal team.
They argue that CBS engaged in deliberate manipulation that extends beyond normal editorial discretion. CBS News has maintained their standard policy of not commenting on ongoing litigation. The network's response to these serious allegations remains pending as the legal process moves forward.
