CNN recently said that its interview with Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, was unedited, despite allegations that the interview was cut or shortened.
A theory that began circulating online among former President Trump’s supporters later this week is that the 27-minute interview that aired was originally 41 minutes long and had been significantly edited out.
“Is there a world where @CNN records an interview with @realDonaldTrump and edits it for air to remove any inconsistencies, mistakes, or controversial comments?” Trump supporter and billionaire Bill Ackman asked in a now-deleted post on X, as highlighted by Mediaite.
CNN confirmed to The Hill that the interview, which aired Thursday, was aired in its entirety.
At the start of the program, CNN’s Dana Bassey emphasized that the entire interview would air. Trump and his allies criticized CNN for pre-recording the interview instead of broadcasting it live, a way for the network to cover up a potential Harris mistake.
This interview was seen as a pivotal moment for Harris.
Harris has been criticized recently for not being in the media enough and speaking only from a teleprompter. This week’s interview gave her a chance to think on the fly and answer questions in the moment.
Harris was not injured during the interview and there were no major missteps or significant news following the incident.
She responded to GOP criticism that her policy positions have shifted since she ran for president in 2020, saying her “values” have not changed. Harris has talked about the need to address climate change, but has largely avoided the politics behind fracking.
When asked about Trump’s comments about her race, she brushed them off, saying it was the same “old, tired playbook” and told Bash to move on to the next question. Trump criticized Harris after the interview, calling her “flawed.”
