The last time Donald Trump and his team accused CBS News of deceptively editing an interview it was last fall, when then-Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “60 Minutes.” The show made some routine edits for time, and the Republican president proceeded to launch a hysterical crusade that included filing a $20 billion lawsuit.
Nearly a year later, Team Trump is leaning into a similar complaint against the same network. The Hill reported:
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused CBS News of selectively editing footage from her Sunday interview, cutting some of her remarks about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported and returned to the U.S. to face separate charges.
After the Department of Homeland Security issued a written statement that accused CBS of “deceptively” editing a “Face the Nation” interview, the South Dakota Republican added via social media, “This morning, I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety.”
The DHS chief then included a video clip that included the comments that were left on the editing-room floor, a portion that Noem said the network “tried to cover up.”
For its part, CBS News explained that the interview was edited for time and that the full version, including the transcript, was published online, which doesn’t exactly sound like a cover-up.
But there’s another element to this worth keeping in mind: The comments in question, which Noem said but which were not immediately aired on television, were wrong. She peddled highly provocative allegations against Abrego Garcia and characterized them as factual, despite the fact that Trump administration prosecutors haven’t proven the claims and, more importantly, didn’t even include the claims in their indictment.
If the DHS secretary wants to argue that independent news organizations have a responsibility to air her false allegations, unedited, she’s welcome to give it a try. But I wouldn’t recommend it.
As for whether Noem might sue CBS for some outrageous dollar amount, watch this space.
