OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump is vowing to push for all broadcast licenses to be rebid in an effort to combat perceived left-wing bias in the media after CBS was caught heavily editing an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris to make her look and sound more competent.
The goal, the former president said, would be to create more competition and balance in the presentation of information to the public, Just the News reported.
He also called CBS News’s decision to edit one of Harris’ answers in a “60 Minutes” interview a “fake news scandal.”
“60 Minutes is a major part of the News Organization of CBS, which has just created the Greatest Fraud in Broadcast History,” Trump told Just the News. “CBS should lose its license, and it should be bid out to the Highest Bidder, as should all other Broadcast Licenses, because they are just as corrupt as CBS – and maybe even WORSE!”
“The fraud committed by 60 Minutes and CBS, together with the Democrat Party, is the single Biggest Scandal in Broadcast History!” he added.
He continued railing against the network on social media.
“A giant Fake News Scam by CBS & 60 Minutes. Her REAL ANSWER WAS CRAZY, OR DUMB, so they actually REPLACED it with another answer in order to save her or, at least, make her look better. A FAKE NEWS SCAM, which is totally illegal,” he posted on Thursday.
“TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. Election Interference. She is a Moron, and the Fake News Media wants to hide that fact. An UNPRECEDENTED SCANDAL!!! The Dems got them to do this and should be forced to concede the Election? WOW!” he added.
Republican National Convention Chairman Michael Whatley said on the “John Solomon Reports” podcast said that “something needs to be done” following tghe 60 Minutes controversy.
“I also think you can look at the major news media outlets and look at their viewership. Look at their market share over the course of the last 20-30 years,” Whatley said, adding that broadcast network viewership is declining while as alternative outlets attract more people.
Just the News added:
During the interview, host Bill Whitaker brought up U.S. foreign aid for Israel in its war against Hamas and said “it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening” to the U.S.
In the promotional clip that CBS published on Sunday, Harris responded: “The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
In the full interview segment that aired later, Harris’ answer is different.
“We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end,” she said.
Earlier this month, critics railed at CBS News anchors Margaret Brennan and Norah O’Donnell over their handling of the vice presidential debate between Ohio GOP Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Even after CBS said that live fact-checking would not be permitted during the debate, the moderators did it on multiple occasions. Vance implied that resources in Springfield, Ohio, are being overtaken by illegal immigrants; Brennan intervened to correct him.
“Just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected status,” Brennan said.
As the moderators attempted to move on, Vance pushed back.
“The rules were that you guys weren’t going to fact-check,” Vance reminded them. “And since you are fact-checking me, I think it’s important to say what’s actually going on.”
Critics criticized the fact-checking by the CBS moderators.
“The moderators were obnoxious and made it feel like three on one on Vance,” Fox News’ Brit Hume reacted.
Fox News author Laura Ingraham called out the “smug, arrogant bias” of the moderators.
Critics also took to social media to pile on the CBS anchors.
“Once again another major media outlet embarrasses themselves on a debate stage,” Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., wrote. “In just the first 30 minutes of the CBS debate the moderators have already offered two gratuitous editorial statements, (one of them misleading), taking a shot at JD Vance under the guise of ‘fact checking’.”
