FCC chair rejects Trump’s call to revoke CBS license over Harris interview edit

Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel rejected erstwhile President Donald Trump’s telephone to revoke CBS’s broadcast licence Thursday, saying it a acquainted menace that “should not beryllium ignored.”

Trump called for the licence to beryllium revoked aft the web shared 2 antithetic edits of a caller 60 Minutes interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump criticized the interrogation arsenic “A elephantine Fake News Scam” successful a Truth Social station Thursday and claimed the web replaced her reply connected a question astir Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “in bid to prevention her or, astatine least, marque her look better.”

Trump shared a compilation of two versions of Harris’ answer to the question, with 1 labeled “actual answer,” and the different labeled “edited answer,” adjacent though some were shared by CBS. One was shared by 60 Minutes’ X account successful a teaser, portion the different depicts a mentation that appears successful CBS’ transcript of the afloat interview. CBS did not instantly respond to The Verge’s petition for comment.

“TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE,” helium added. “Election Interference.”

“While repeated attacks against broadcast stations by the erstwhile President whitethorn present beryllium familiar, these threats against escaped code are superior and should not beryllium ignored,” Rosenworcel said successful a statement. “As I’ve said before, the First Amendment is simply a cornerstone of our democracy. The FCC does not and volition not revoke licenses for broadcast stations simply due to the fact that a governmental campaigner disagrees with oregon dislikes contented oregon coverage.”

If this sounds familiar, it’s due to the fact that Rosenworcel rejected a akin telephone from Trump successful September. That time, Trump objected to ABC’s moderation and fact-checking of the statesmanlike debate.