CBS has made public an unedited interview previously shown with ex-Vice President Kamala Harris, in response to a $10 billion legal action from Donald Trump and an FCC probe into allegations that the network manipulated broadcasts to favor his Democratic adversary in the 2024 presidential contest.

The dispute originated from an interview in October that was shown on two CBS shows. “Face the Nation” aired a segment on the 6th of October where the correspondent, Bill Whitaker, queried Harris about U.S.-Israeli relations, specifically concerning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ongoing conflict.

“But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening. The Wall Street Journal said that he — that your administration has repeatedly been blindsided by Netanyahu, and in fact, he has rebuffed just about all of your administration’s entreaties,” Whitaker asked according to the unedited transcript.

The full answer from Harris, as revealed in the transcript, merged two segments that were aired separately: “Well, Bill, 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. And we’re not going to stop doing that. 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.”

The decisions made in editing have caused internal strife at CBS News. While the executive producer of “60 Minutes”, Bill Owens, supported the edits as “perfectly fine”, some staff view it as an “unforced error” that could have been avoided with more editorial control. Some employees are contemplating resignation over the controversy.

Trump began the lawsuit in Texas, alleging violations of the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit seeks $10 billion in damages, claiming CBS omitted Harris’ “horrible election-changing answers” and substituted them with “completely different, and far better, answers.”

This situation holds wider implications for CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, which is seeking regulatory approval for a merger with Skydance Media valued at $8 billion. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, has linked his examination of the broadcast to the awaiting merger and initiated an official investigation, demanding CBS provide the full footage.

A Democratic FCC commissioner condemned the investigation as a “weaponization against CBS” and a “retaliatory move by the government against broadcasters whose content or coverage is seen to be unfavorable.” The FCC’s power in such situations is restricted, as it is barred from participating in censorship or violating the press’s First Amendment rights.

Despite the controversy, the network stands by its journalistic ethics, stating: “In reporting the news, journalists regularly edit interviews – for time, space or clarity. In making these edits, “60 Minutes” is always guided by the truth and what we believe will be most informative to the viewing public – all while working within the constraints of broadcast television.”

CEO of CBS News and Stations, Wendy McMahon, and Owens strongly resist settling the lawsuit, despite pressure from Paramount Global to reach an agreement with Trump to expedite the Skydance merger. The parent company of the network sees the settlement as critical for obtaining regulatory approval for the deal. The FCC has created a public docket for remarks on the matter, prolonging the potential effect of the controversy on the network’s journalistic credibility and its parent company’s commercial interests.