Washington, 1 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, filed a lawsuit on Thursday - just days before Tuesday's election - against US broadcaster CBS, alleging it manipulated an interview with his rival Democrat Kamala Harris.

Trump is demanding $10 billion in damages and filed the case in a Texas court, seen as a calculated move to ensure the case is assigned to a conservative judge. However, the chances of success are considered low given the US First Amendment, which offers strong freedom of speech protections.

The dispute ignited in early October over an interview with Harris on the popular political programme "60 Minutes," during which she was questioned about Israel. CBS aired two different excerpts of her answer on two consecutive days.

That led to Trump's supporters accusing CBS to deliberately portray Harris in a more favourable light. Trump's lawyers subsequently demanded the release of the full interview transcript, which CBS refused. The broadcaster dismissed the manipulation allegations and stated segmenting sections of an interview is common to fit the programme's time constraints.

US courts have historically granted media extensive editorial freedoms especially since the Constitution's First Amendment explicitly safeguards press freedom. CBS emphasized that its editorial decisions are part of journalistic freedom.

MIA file photo