Fox News was accused of modifying Donald Trump's responses to eliminate his "false claims" and "rambling" during a barbershop interview in the Bronx earlier this month.
The former president was depicted as well-spoken and concise in the network's coverage of the Q&A session. However, CNN reported that Trump frequently rambled, veered off topic, and required prompting to respond to questions.
The report was released in response to Trump's repeated demands that CBS forfeit its broadcasting licenses due to the editing of Vice President Kamala Harris' "election special" interview by 60 Minutes. This is despite the fact that it is a standard practice to condense interviews and emphasize the most significant subjects.
The 78-year-old former President insisted that the edits were an attempt to sabotage the 2024 presidential election and that the sit-down would be the "single biggest scandal in broadcast history."
"CBS and 60 Minutes, working with the Democrats, probably did the same thing with the Crooked Joe Biden interviews as they did for Kamala," he stated in a distinct post published on Truth Social. "Changed his answers so that he looked intelligent, which he is not."
"With me they probably edit my answers to make me look as bad as possible," he explained further. "I have always felt that, but now, with the Kamala Scandal, the worst and most blatant in the history of broadcasting, we have the PROOF that 60 Minutes, and CBS, play DIRTY. Real Creeps!"
“Every one of Fox & Friends’ barbershop segments are pre-taped and edited. The Bronx edition ran for nearly an hour and was cut for time and clarity,” a Fox News spokesperson further stated to OK! Magazine.
On Thursday, October 17, Trump even suggested that President Joe Biden should supplant Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee.
"60 MINUTES SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY TAKEN OFF THE AIR — ELECTION INTERFERENCE. CBS SHOULD LOSE ITS LICENSE. THIS IS THE BIGGEST SCANDAL IN BROADCAST HISTORY," he composed. "Kamala should be investigated and forced off the Campaign, and Joe Biden allowed to take back his rightful place ... THIS WHOLE SORDID AND FRAUDULENT EVENT IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!"
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel verified that CBS's television broadcast rights would not be forfeited despite Trump's calls for such action.
"While repeated attacks against broadcast stations by the former President may now be familiar, these threats against free speech are serious and should not be ignored," she declared in a press release. "As I’ve said before, the First Amendment is a cornerstone of our democracy. The FCC does not and will not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply because a political candidate disagrees with or dislikes content or coverage."
Meanwhile, as the electorate appears impossible and immovably split, the final national survey by The New York Times and Siena College indicated that Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris are tied for the popular vote, with each candidate receiving 48 percent of the vote. Ms. Harris is struggling to gain an advantage over Mr. Trump.
Even though millions of Americans have cast their ballots, Harris is not encouraged by the outcome just two weeks before Election Day. Even though they lost the presidency due to a lack of support in the Electoral College, Democrats have maintained a lead in the popular vote in recent elections. A solid national lead would bode well for Harris in swing states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, so they've been waiting for her to establish one.
Harris and Trump are still almost deadlocked after three of the most turbulent months in American political history. There has been no discernible shift in the race's course despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on ads, two assassination attempts on Trump, dozens of rallies in seven states that were battlefields, and a high-profile debate.
Since the latest Times/Siena College poll, conducted in early October, Harris's position among likely voters may have deteriorated. She was slightly ahead of Trump, with 49% to 46% of the vote. Although the move is still within the margin of error, The Times' national polling average has also shown a tightening of polls in the past several weeks, which suggests that this battle has become much tighter.
Even though the most recent Times/Siena College poll provides a window into public opinion nationwide, the seven states designated as "battlegrounds" will determine who wins the presidency. Both Harris and Trump have invested a great deal of time and energy in these states. According to most surveys, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are among the states where the fight appears to be very close.
Business Times has reached out to Donald Trump for comments.
