President Donald Trump has expanded his lawsuit against CBS News over its “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, increasing the amount he seeks in damages from $10 billion to $20 billion. The amended complaint also introduces a new claim of “unfair competition” and adds Rep. Ronny Jackson, a Texas congressman and former White House physician, as a co-plaintiff.
The lawsuit alleges that CBS intentionally edited footage of Harris’ interview to mislead the public, making her appear more articulate and decisive than she actually was. Trump’s legal team contends that this manipulation was designed to benefit the Democratic Party ahead of the 2024 election, ultimately disadvantaging Trump. The suit accuses CBS of engaging in unethical conduct by “doctoring” Harris’ responses, particularly in a discussion about the U.S. government’s influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the complaint, Harris originally gave a lengthy and incoherent answer when asked about the United States’ ability to sway Netanyahu. However, the final aired version of the interview allegedly portrayed her response as clear and decisive. Trump’s legal team argues that this alteration misled millions of viewers, including both plaintiffs, and constituted unlawful election interference.
Trump is also invoking the Lanham Act, a federal law that prohibits false advertising and unfair competition, claiming that CBS’ selective editing created an unfair advantage over his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which owns the social media platform Truth Social. The complaint asserts that CBS’ deceptive broadcasting practices harmed not only Trump’s political campaign but also his business interests in the digital media space.
The lawsuit is being pursued in the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, where Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, is the sole federal judge. Critics argue that the decision to file in Texas, rather than in Trump’s home state of Florida or CBS’ headquarters in New York, is a strategic move known as “judge shopping.” To counter jurisdictional challenges, Trump added Rep. Jackson, a Texas resident, to strengthen the claim that Texas consumers were directly affected.
CBS has sought to dismiss the case, arguing that both the Lanham Act and Texas consumer protection laws apply only to commercial speech, not editorial or political content. The network’s legal team has emphasized that news programming decisions, including editorial cuts, are protected under the First Amendment. In a prior motion to dismiss, CBS pointed out that Trump’s lawsuit repeatedly accuses the network of distorting news coverage rather than engaging in deceptive commercial advertising.
Trump’s team, however, maintains that CBS misrepresented its content to the public and engaged in deceptive advertising by promoting a preview of the Harris interview on “Face the Nation.” The lawsuit claims that this preview, which presented a more polished version of Harris’ response, misled viewers into believing she had spoken more coherently than she actually did.
The legal battle reflects Trump’s ongoing feud with mainstream media, particularly over coverage he views as biased against him. While CBS argues that its editorial choices are legally protected, Trump’s lawyers insist that the network’s actions amount to fraudulent manipulation of news content for political gain.
Attempts to reach representatives for both Trump and CBS for comment have so far been unsuccessful.
