Sen. Bernie Sanders Urges CBS News Not to Settle Lawsuit with Trump
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is urging CBS News not to settle its $10 billion lawsuit with President Donald Trump, citing concerns that the network would be “caving” to the president’s demands. The lawsuit was filed by Trump in October, alleging election interference over CBS News’ handling of the “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris.
The lawsuit claims that CBS News engaged in “deceptive editing” to aid Trump’s Democratic rival, and that the network’s actions were “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference.” Sanders argued that if CBS News settles the lawsuit, it would undermine the belief that the media is independent and protected by the First Amendment.
Trump’s lawsuit stems from an exchange Harris had with “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker, in which she was asked why it seemed like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to the U.S. Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy “word salad” response, but when the same question aired the following night in a primetime election special, her answer was edited to be shorter and more focused.
Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris’ answer to shield her from further backlash, and there were calls for the network to release the full transcript of the interview. Trump’s attorneys argued that the edits were done in an effort to “attempt to tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party as the heated 2024 Presidential Election approaches its conclusion.”
Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, is reportedly considering settling the lawsuit ahead of a planned merger with Skydance Media. However, Sanders and other liberal critics argue that settling the lawsuit would set a bad precedent and undermine the independence of the media.
