A “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris has received an Emmy nomination, even as the segment remains at the center of a $20 billion legal battle initiated by President Donald Trump.
The interview, which aired during the 2024 election cycle, is up for Outstanding Edited Interview. Trump’s lawsuit claims the segment was deceptively edited to clean up Harris’ response regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The version broadcast on “60 Minutes” reportedly presented a more polished answer compared to the one previewed on “Face the Nation.”
The controversy prompted the FCC to intervene, ordering CBS to release the full, unedited transcript. The raw footage confirmed that both versions came from a single answer but were selectively edited for different programs. Shortly after the fallout, longtime executive producer Bill Owens resigned, citing pressure that, according to him, compromised editorial integrity.
Settlement talks between Trump and CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, are reportedly ongoing, with figures ranging between $15 million and $25 million. The legal dispute comes at a delicate time, as Paramount is seeking approval for a potential merger with Skydance Media.
Within CBS, the Emmy nomination has divided staff. Some view it as a testament to the program’s production value, while others fear it could tarnish the network’s credibility during an already turbulent moment.
The case underscores growing concerns over media transparency and political bias as the network navigates the fallout and its implications on corporate strategy and public trust.