Republican nominee Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, accusing the network of deliberately misleading viewers with an edited interview of Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris, Al Jazeera reports.
The lawsuit, filed in a Texas federal court, alleges that CBS aired a “sanitized” version of Harris’s response to a question about the Israel-Hamas conflict during a recent 60 Minutes segment. According to the suit, the network omitted a “word salad” response from Harris that allegedly exposed the Biden administration’s lack of influence on Israel’s actions during the war.
The suit, which is being heard by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee known for his conservative rulings, accuses CBS of violating a Texas law barring deceptive acts in business. Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the network on the campaign trail, has threatened to revoke CBS’s broadcasting license if elected.
CBS News has vehemently denied the allegations, calling the suit “frivolous” and “a blatant attempt to distract from the real issues facing our nation.”
The lawsuit marks yet another instance of Trump’s ongoing war with the press, which he has repeatedly branded as “fake news” and “the enemy of the people.” Despite his vitriol, Trump has continued to engage with select media outlets he views as friendly, such as Fox News, and has even held regular, off-the-cuff press conferences throughout the campaign.
This latest legal action has alarmed press freedom advocates, with Reporters Without Borders expressing concern that Trump poses “an existential threat” to the media’s ability to hold power to account.
The lawsuit comes just days before the presidential election, with polls showing a close race between Trump and Harris. Both candidates are currently campaigning in key battleground states, including New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona.
