Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Sunday accused CBS News of editing her interview to "whitewash the truth" about an alleged MS-13 gang member, but the Tiffany Network says it was simply cut for time and meets all network standards.
"Face the Nation" host Ed O'Keefe asked Noem why the Trump administration was working to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia instead of forcing him to face charges in the United States. She took to social media after her segment aired to blast the network.
"I joined CBS to report the facts about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Instead, CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety," Noem wrote alongside video clips to back her point.
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In the clip that aired on television, Noem said, "Prosecution decisions are always made by the Department of Justice and Pam Bondi's department, so we will let them do that, although this individual does have criminal charges pending. He has charges pending against him civilly as well. And the one thing that we will continue to do is to make sure that he doesn't walk free in the United States of America."
The on-air portion edited out the rest of her answer and went to O'Keefe's next question about whether the government would still seek to deport him to Uganda.
Noem posted a video of her "uncut response" that was not shown on the air. However, the whole interview is available on the show's YouTube page.
"This individual was a known human smuggler, an MS-13 gang member, and an individual who is a wife beater, and someone who is so perverted that he solicited nude photos from minors and even his fellow human traffickers told him to knock it off. He was so sick in what he was doing and how he was treating small children. So, he needs to never be in the United States of America, and our administration is making sure we're doing all that we can," Noem said.
CBS insists the process met the network's standards.
"Secretary Noem's 'Face The Nation' interview was edited for time and met all CBS News standards. The entire interview is publicly available on YouTube, and the full transcript was posted earlier this morning on CBSNews.com," a CBS News spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
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Abrego Garcia's lawyers asked a federal judge in Tennessee on Thursday to prohibit top Trump administration officials from making remarks about their client that could bias the jury against him.
His defense team said that administration officials have repeatedly accused Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national facing human smuggling charges, of being a criminal gang member and made other negative claims about him that pose a "substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing this proceeding."
The attorneys pointed to numerous recent instances, including Noem calling Abrego Garcia an "MS-13 gang member, human trafficker, serial domestic abuser, and child predator."
Abrego Garcia was erroneously deported by the Trump administration to a prison in El Salvador in March. The government claimed for nearly two months in combative hearings and court papers that it could not return him, despite an order from the Supreme Court to attempt to do so.
The Salvadoran migrant entered the country illegally more than a decade ago, but an immigration judge previously barred the government from sending him back to El Salvador, citing his fears of persecution if he were sent there.
In a surprise move in June, the DOJ returned Abrego Garcia to the United States and brought an indictment against him for two counts of conspiring to transport illegal immigrants within the country.
He was released from jail last week while he awaits trial, but immigration authorities promptly re-detained him in Maryland, fulfilling fears previously expressed in court by Abrego Garcia and his lawyers. He has denied all the allegations against him.
Noem's claims are not the first time CBS has faced accusations of editing critical rhetoric out of an answer.
Paramount Global and CBS settled President Donald Trump's "election interference" lawsuit in July after he accused CBS News of deceitful editing.
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Trump was seeking $20 billion in his lawsuit against CBS over its handling of a "60 Minutes" interview last year with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, accusing the network of election interference leading up to the 2024 contest.
The lawsuit alleged CBS News deceitfully edited an exchange Harris had with "60 Minutes" correspondent Bill Whitaker, who asked her why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn't "listening" to the Biden administration. Harris was widely mocked for the "word salad" answer that aired in a preview clip of the interview on "Face the Nation."
However, when the same question aired during a primetime special on the network, Harris had a different, more concise response. Critics at the time accused CBS News of deceitfully editing Harris' answer to shield the Democratic nominee from backlash leading up to Election Day.
Trump agreed to receive $16 million upfront to cover legal fees, costs of the case, and contributions to his future presidential library or charitable causes. The president has said another allocation in the eight figures has been set aside for advertisements, public service announcements, or other similar transmissions, in support of conservative causes by the network in the future.
Fox News Digital's Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
