CBS hits back at Trump's legal threat citing First Amendment rights: 'We decline' to release full transcript

CBS News fired backmost astatine erstwhile President Trump's ineligible threat against nan web complete its "60 Minutes" question and reply pinch Vice President Kamala Harris, insisting he has nary ineligible opinionated arsenic CBS News is protected by nan First Amendment. 

Earlier this week, Fox News Digital first reported connected nan missive Trump's lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik sent to CBS News connected behalf of his customer demanding nan web merchandise nan afloat transcript of nan "60 Minutes" question and reply aft nan web aired 2 different answers to nan aforesaid question. Trump's lawyer besides asked CBS to sphere each documents and communications related to nan question and reply pending a imaginable ineligible battle.

CBS News has refused to merchandise nan afloat transcript, according to a missive that CBS News sent to Paltzik successful consequence that has been obtained by Fox News Digital. 

"Your missive connected behalf of Mr. Trump is based connected nan faulty premise that 60 MINUTES distorted its interview pinch Vice President Kamala Harris ('the Interview') successful bid to coming her successful a positive light. That, arsenic 60 MINUTES has said successful its Statement, is false," CBS News' elder vice president of ineligible affairs Gayle C. Sproul began her missive connected Wednesday to Paltzik.

TRUMP SENDS LETTER TO CBS DEMANDING UNEDITED ‘60 MINUTES’ HARRIS TRANSCRIPT, TEASES POTENTIAL LAWSUIT

CBS News fired backmost astatine erstwhile President Trump's attorney, scoffing astatine his request for nan web to merchandise nan afloat transcript of its "60 Minutes" question and reply pinch Vice President Kamala Harris.  (Getty Images)

The web rejected Trump's assertion that it "conceded" that it had "doctored" nan Harris question and reply to mislead nan American people, insisting "The Interview was not doctored" and nan programme "did not hide immoderate portion of nan Vice President’s reply to nan mobility astatine issue."

"60 MINUTES reasonably presented nan Interview to pass nan viewing audience, and not to mislead it. Indeed, your contention that 60 MINUTES acted nefariously is wholly unfounded," Sproul wrote. 

"Instead, the Interview was edited for clip pinch nan purpose of allowing nan nationalist to perceive from nan Vice President connected arsenic galore subjects arsenic imaginable successful a 21-minute interview," she continued. "Editing is simply a necessity for all broadcasters to alteration them to coming nan news successful nan clip available, and that is what 60 MINUTES did here, arsenic it does pinch its different reports."

FLASHBACK: CBS NEWS RELEASED A ‘FULL TRANSCRIPT’ OF VP HARRIS INTERVIEW IN 2021 THAT DIDN'T AIR ENTIRELY ON TV

CBS past cited nan First Amendment and declined to merchandise nan unedited transcript contempt wide calls to do so. 

"The First Amendment fiercely protects these editorial judgments… For that reason, nary backstage correct of action exists present and I statement that you do not place one. Nor is location immoderate ineligible ground for your request that we provide you pinch nan unedited transcript of nan Interview, which we diminution to do," Sproul continued. 

Steven Cheung, spokesperson for nan Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital: "As President Trump stated - CBS committed nan worst wrongdoing successful broadcast history erstwhile they maliciously and deceptively doctored Lyin’ Kamala Harris’ pathetic 60 Minutes interview. CBS is connected announcement to sphere their documents."

Former President Trump dramatically called nan "60 Minutes" contention perchance nan "biggest ungraded successful broadcast history." (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The contention stemmed from an speech Harris had pinch "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker. In a preview clip that aired connected "Face The Nation," Harris was asked why it seemed for illustration Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to nan U.S. 

"Well, Bill, nan activity that we person done has resulted successful a number of movements successful that region by Israel that were very overmuch prompted by, aliases a consequence of, galore things, including our defense for what needs to hap successful nan region," Harris responded successful nan "Face nan Nation" clip. 

CBS NEWS STATEMENT ON CONTROVERSIAL ’60 MINUTES’ EDIT FALLS FLAT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 'PUBLISH. THE. TRANSCRIPT.'

Harris was mocked by conservatives for offering a lengthy "word salad" to Whitaker. But erstwhile that aforesaid mobility aired nan pursuing nighttime successful nan primetime predetermination special, it aired a shorter, much focused answer from nan vice president.

"We are not going to extremity pursuing what is basal for nan United States to beryllium clear astir wherever we guidelines connected nan request for this warfare to end," Harris said successful nan primetime special. 

CBS News raised eyebrows by releasing 2 versions of an speech "60 Minutes" analogous Bill Whitaker had pinch Vice President Kamala Harris. (Screenshots/CBS News)

Critics accused CBS News of editing Harris' "word salad" reply to shield nan vice president from further backlash and location has been increasing calls for nan web to merchandise nan afloat transcript aft it only shared transcripts of what had aired. 

However, CBS News did merchandise its afloat transcript of its 2021 question and reply pinch Harris, which included exchanges that did not make it to air. 

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Trump dramatically called it perchance nan "biggest ungraded successful broadcast history" successful a connection posted to X.

On Sunday, CBS News released a statement saying Trump’s declare that "deceitful editing" was utilized is "false," and explained that producers utilized a "more succinct" information of Harris’ answer. 

Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.