CBS moved on Friday to dismiss Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over the editing of Kamala Harris’ interview on “60 Minutes.”
Trump sued in the waning days of the presidential campaign to claim that Harris’ interview was deceptively edited to make her appear “coherent and decisive.”
In its motion to dismiss, CBS argued that this is not a legal claim and that the First Amendment protects its right to edit news interviews.
“The First Amendment prevents CBS from being held liable for editorial statements that the president may not like,” CBS’ attorneys argued, noting that the network had every right to curtail the vice president’s response for the time being . “Such decisions are not subject to judicial doubt.”
Trump has filed a lawsuit under the Texas consumer fraud statute. His lawyers argued that Trump and millions of others were deceived and deceived as “consumers” of CBS broadcast services by the Harris interview.
CBS countered that the law does not apply to news broadcasts, that Trump would have no standing even if it were, that Trump was not actually confused by the interview, and therefore not to his detriment relied on.
“The claim stumbles at every step,” CBS argued.
The network also noted that Trump’s claims of election interference are moot, as Trump won the election.
Trump filed the lawsuit on Oct. 31 in the Amarillo Division of the Northern District of Texas, which has one judge: Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee.
CBS argued that the case should either be dismissed completely or at least transferred to the Southern District of New York, where CBS is headquartered, as the case has nothing to do with Texas.
A conservative group, the Center for American Rights, also filed a complaint about the Harris interview with the Federal Communications Commission. Brendan Carr, Trump’s chosen chairman of the FCC, has said the complaint will likely come up during consideration of the Skydance merger with Paramount Global, CBS’ parent company.