CBS Faces Backlash After Cutting Key Remarks by Kristi Noem on “Face the Nation”
Controversy erupted around CBS after South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem accused the network of cutting out crucial parts of her remarks about a dangerous criminal suspect during her interview on Face the Nation.
In the televised segment, viewers only heard Noem stressing her administration’s efforts to ensure the suspect would not walk free in the United States. However, the portion in which she described the individual as a human trafficker, MS-13 gang member, domestic abuser, and someone who solicited nude photos from minors was left out of the broadcast. CBS explained that the interview was edited “for time,” noting that the full transcript and uncut video had been posted online.
Critics argue that very few viewers will read transcripts or search for full clips on YouTube, while millions who watched the live program were denied the complete context. Former ICE officials called CBS’s move “disheartening,” warning that such omissions undermine transparency on serious issues of security and immigration.
The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions between the federal government and “sanctuary cities” such as Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles over immigration enforcement. Recent unrest — including riots in Portland where activists erected a guillotine and burned the American flag outside an ICE facility — has further deepened the national divide.
As a result, the Kristi Noem–CBS incident is more than just a media dispute; it has become a flashpoint in the broader battle over transparency, public trust, and U.S. immigration policy.