South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has accused CBS News of deceptive editing following her recent interview on “Face the Nation,” reigniting a familiar line of attack from allies of former President Donald Trump against the network.
The complaint mirrors a previous incident where Trump’s team accused “60 Minutes” of misleadingly editing an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which resulted in a multi-billion dollar lawsuit.
In a written statement and on social media, Noem claimed that CBS “shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth” about Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national who was erroneously deported and later returned to the U.S. to face charges. The governor’s office released a video clip of the unaired comments, asserting the network had “tried to cover up” that portion of the interview.
CBS News responded by explaining that the interview was edited for time, a standard practice in broadcast journalism, and that the full interview and transcript were published on its website.
However, the dispute extends beyond standard editing practices. The unaired comments from Noem contained highly provocative allegations against Abrego Garcia. These claims have not been proven by prosecutors and, significantly, were not included in the official indictment filed by the Trump administration.
The incident highlights the tension between a political figure’s desire to air claims unfiltered and a news organization’s editorial judgment, particularly when dealing with unsubstantiated allegations. While Noem argues for the inclusion of her full remarks, CBS’s decision points to the journalistic responsibility to verify information before broadcasting it.
Source link
