Following the release of the unedited transcript and footage of CBS News' "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr expressed his confusion regarding the network's actions. Carr told Fox News Digital, "CBS's behavior is puzzling. They promptly released the complete transcript of a recent interview with Vice President Vance, but withheld the one with Vice President Harris for months." He highlighted the contrast with CBS News' release of the transcript from Margaret Brennan's "Face the Nation" interview with Vice President JD Vance the previous month.

Carr emphasized the FCC's ongoing investigation into a news distortion complaint, stating, "The FCC has initiated proceedings and is seeking public comment. Transparency is crucial, and we anticipate public input as our review progresses." CBS News has not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

The unedited transcript revealed that CBS News broadcast only the first part of Harris' response to Bill Whitaker's question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's perceived unresponsiveness to the Biden administration in a "Face the Nation" preview. However, the primetime special included only the latter half of her answer. The full response, as shown in the raw transcript, addressed the administration's efforts in the region and their commitment to pursuing necessary actions. CBS News subsequently posted the complete transcript and unedited footage on their website, defending their editing practices and stating that their goal was to provide the most informative content within broadcast time constraints.

Carr, who had ordered CBS News to provide the unedited transcript, explained that the FCC's policy prohibits altering interview responses to misrepresent what was said. He clarified that editing for brevity and clarity would have been acceptable. The preview clip on "Face the Nation" featured Harris' initial response to Whitaker's question about Netanyahu. However, during the primetime special, a different segment of her response was aired, focusing on the United States' commitment to ending the war.

Conservatives criticized Harris' initial response, labeling it as a "word salad." Critics accused CBS News of selectively editing to protect Harris from further criticism and demanded the full transcript, which CBS News initially refused to release. Former President Trump subsequently filed a lawsuit against CBS News, alleging election interference and accusing the network of favoring his opponent through manipulative editing.

Trump's lawsuit claimed that CBS News' actions were intended to influence the 2024 presidential election. Reports indicate that Paramount Global, CBS' parent company, is considering settling the lawsuit to avoid potential interference from Trump's FCC with their planned merger with Skydance Media.