Trump calls for CBS to pull anger-filled interview about Harris off the air

Donald Trump’s anger over CBS News’ “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris continued Thursday, now with him demanding that the century-old network and all other television news stations lose their broadcast licenses.

CBS, Trump charged on social media, “should lose their license and be put out to the highest bidder, like every other broadcast license should be, because they are as corrupt as CBS, and maybe even WORSE!”

The network “just created the biggest fraud in the history of broadcasting,” he said, referring to claims he made Wednesday that CBS heavily edited his recent interview with Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee. to make her look “more presidential” and hide what she is. “virtually incoherent”.

Trump, who backed out of his “60 Minutes” interview at the last minute, claimed in a follow-up post that CBS is “A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY.” (He faces the same charge, which is at the center of two of his criminal indictments.)

It’s conceivable that Trump, who has long had a strained relationship with the press, could act on that threat if he regains the White House next month. Experts have pointed out that there is an obscure provision in the Communications Act of 1934 that allows presidents to shut down broadcasters in the interest of “national emergency” or “national security.”

This is not the first time that Trump has attacked the networks by making threats about their broadcast licenses, which are granted by the Federal Communications Commission. Last month, he called out Fox News, saying the FCC “should pull” ABC’s license to handle the September debate between him and Harris.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement dismissing Trump’s demands, saying, “The First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commission does not revoke broadcasters’ licenses simply because a political candidate is not ‘agree with the content or coverage or they don’t like it’.

Trump made the same demands about NBC and CNN earlier this year when they did not air his full speech after winning the Iowa caucuses. And while still president in 2018, he posted on social media: “I have long criticized NBC and its journalistic standards, worse than even CNN. Look at their license?”

His claims about the “60 Minutes” interview with Harris appear to stem from two separate clips CBS has released in which Harris answers the same question about Israel from host Bill Whitaker. One shows her giving a one-sentence answer, while another shows her giving a longer answer that includes her answer from the shorter clip. You can see the full transcripts here.

It is unclear why two different versions were released or whether the footage was edited for length or clarity. CBS representatives did not respond to requests for comment.