House Speaker Mike Johnson accused CBS News of so-called cutting out key key responses during an appearance Sunday on “Face the Nation,” as the network continues to grapple with backlash for airing two different responses Vice President Kamala Harris gave to same question.
Although television news organizations regularly cut or trim pre-recorded interviews, this process should be done with a journalistic integrity that does not strip away critical context or give the impression that the answer could have been provided at another stage of the interview. CBS News has faced criticism in recent days for airing a long-winded response Harris gave while promoting a recent interview on “60 Minutes,” but cutting off the poorly received response when the show aired in prime time, showing a different reaction instead.
“CBS has come under fire for selectively editing their interviews designed to PROMOTE Democrats and UPGRADE Republicans. Yesterday they decided to cut FIVE important minutes from my almost 15-minute interview. You can judge for yourself why,” Johnson wrote in X before giving examples.
CBS' 60 MINUTES airs two different responses from Vice President Harris to the same question
House Speaker Mike Johnson accused CBS News of “selectively editing” his recent interview on “Face the Nation.” (Screenshot/CBS)
“I recently traveled to North Carolina and victims of Hurricane Helene told me that almost two weeks after landfall, the Biden-Harris administration STILL has not provided them with all the resources they so desperately needed,” Johnson added. “But CBS selectively COMPLETELY edited out this first-hand perspective.”
Johnson, whose staff apparently recorded the interview separately, then shared a comparison of the video broadcast by CBS with his entire response. Moderator Margaret Brennan asked the Speaker of the House about hurricane relief funds.
In the version aired on CBS, Johnson said the Biden-Harris administration “pledged some funds but only provided two percent.”
“The rescue and reconstruction operation is still ongoing and then we will take care of the rest,” he added. Johnson said in a response that aired on CBS. The entire exchange took about 11 seconds.
But Johnson's own video that he posted to social media shows him giving a much more accurate answer.
“So they obligated some funds, but they only distributed two percent. When I was there and you should go there, I mean bring cameras and talk to the people there, they will tell you. Don Don't take a politician or administration's word for this matter, talk to the people on the ground, almost two weeks after the storm, which they so desperately needed. 13 days after the storm hit the state, people are still being rescued… stranded in higher elevations and mountains as roads are destroyed… they need all available resources and all hands on deck. The rescue and recovery efforts are still ongoing, and then we'll do the rest,” Johnson said in a more detailed response, which was not shown in full on CBS.
Johnson then shared another of his “receipts,” revealing the work of a CBS editor.
“Apparently CBS also doesn't want you to hear about Virginia Governor Youngkin trying to purge the state's voter rolls so non-Americans can't vote there. We need more states to do this but the Biden-Harris agenda The administration is suing Virginia and trying to STOP it,” Johnson wrote in the X, captioning another side-by-side video.
In the second clip, Johnson and Brennan argue about non-citizens voting in federal elections.
In the version aired on CBS, Johnson says: “Here's the problem: Some states don't require proof of citizenship when noncitizens or noncitizens register to vote. We know this is happening… everyone should do it, I want the law to be respected.”
But a much more accurate answer was left on the cutting room floor.
“Here's the problem: Some states don't require proof of citizenship when noncitizens or noncitizens register to vote. We know this happens. Listen, Glenn Youngkin in Virginia… issued an executive order to clean up the way we vote a few days ago The Biden administration's Department of Justice sued the governor and the community of Virginia in an attempt to prevent them from cleaning up their election rules, this type of thing raises a lot of doubts and fears in the minds of Americans. Why would they do that? Everyone should want the law to be obeyed,” Johnson said in the clip, which was not aired in its entirety on CBS.
Johnson then posted a third example.
CBS NEWS is in turmoil as controversy erupts online
“The Biden-Harris administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into our country. That's why the House passed the SAVE Act to ensure that only American citizens vote in American elections. “CBS removed it and focused on 2020 rather than the immediate threats to election integrity.” he posted on X in which he captioned the video side by side.
Footage recorded by Johnson's team shows that the lengthy response he gave was edited by CBS.
CBS News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pressure mounts on CBS NEWS TO RELEASE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF KAMALA HARRIS INTERVIEWS
House Speaker Mike Johnson accused CBS News of cutting out critical context in answers he gave during Sunday's “Face the Nation” appearance. (GettyImages)
CBS News came under fire after Harris' lengthy “word salad” response, aired on the Oct. 6 episode of “Face the Nation” to promote the “60 Minutes” meeting, was removed from the primetime program that aired on Monday, October 7.
CBS has come under pressure to release the transcript or unedited video as many people wonder whether Harris' widely ridiculed response was simply cut for time or removed to help the Democratic presidential candidate.
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Conservatives ridiculed Harris when CBS aired footage of the unflattering answer she gave to Bill Whitaker when asked why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not appear to be listening to the US, before the “60 Minutes” interview aired in prime time.
However, the vice president's lengthy response was not the final version and was instead shown a shorter, more detailed answer to the same question. They appeared to be two different parts of one long response from Harris, but CBS critics pointed out that Americans would never know for sure unless they saw the unedited transcript.
