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Trump angered by Emmy nomination for '60 Minutes' interview at center of lawsuit

President Donald Trump lit into the Emmy nomination for the "60 Minutes" interview at the heart of his massive lawsuit against CBS, saying Wednesday it was another reason for media distrust.

Trump is seeking $20 billion for what he alleged was election interference with how CBS edited its interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in the days leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

The Harris segment earned an Emmy nomination in the "Outstanding Edited Interview" category, outraging critics, and not surprisingly, Trump himself. CBS aired two different responses by Harris to the same question on two different nights of programming, which turned out to both be part of one lengthy response to the same query.

"In a total slap in the face to anyone who believes in TRUTH and Honest Journalism, this Fake News Puff Piece has now been nominated for an award by the totally discredited Emmys," he wrote on Truth Social. "Did 60 Minutes and its Corporate Parents apply to get an Emmy for an illegally falsified interview, or did other Fake Outlets nominate them for this dubious "honor"? These antics are why the American People have no trust in the Press, and demand that the Media, very much including 60 Minutes, CBS, and its owners, be held responsible for their corruption and lies, which is exactly what we are doing in Court!"

The Donald Trump campaign released a scathing statement in response to a defiant "60 Minutes" comment about its controversial edit of its interview with Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month, saying the show had essentially admitted to making her sound better and calling on the CBS show to release a full transcript of the interview.

President Trump has sued CBS for how it edited its "60 Minutes" interview of Kamala Harris last year. (Left: (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images), Center: Screenshot/60Minutes, Right: (Photo by Andy Manis/Getty Images))

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The lawsuit has drawn extensive attention, with critics of Trump expressing concerns about the First Amendment and government overreach. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other Democratic senators have openly lobbied CBS parent Paramount not to settle the case and give Trump a victory.

The Emmy nomination for the controversial interview raised plenty of eyebrows.

"The irony is, some folks at ‘60 Minutes’ are popping champagne over an Emmy nomination — for the same interview that landed them in legal hot water. It’s a reminder that these awards are voted on by other journalists, not the public, not their bosses — and certainly not lawyers," a source familiar with the inner workings of CBS News told Fox News Digital.

The two sides have entered mediation in the suit, which is occurring in the backdrop of a planned multibillion-dollar merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media.

Paramount Global controlling shareholder Shari Redstone reportedly hopes to prevent potential retribution by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has the authority to halt the transaction.

"60 Minutes" host Scott Pelley spoke about Bill Owens' departure on the program last month. (Screenshot/CBS)

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Adding to the drama, "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens abruptly quit the long-running CBS News program last month, which he said was due to concerns about the show's editorial independence.

"60 Minutes" anchor Scott Pelley confirmed on the air after Owens' announcement that Paramount was trying to meddle with the news magazine's stories.

"Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger," Pelley said. "The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories have been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism required."