CBS Updates “Face the Nation” Interview Policy After Kristi Noem Dispute

Secretary of DHS Kristi Noem’s interview aired on the program last week. The administration accused CBS of deceptive editing and ‘whitewashing’, prompting an update to their interview policy

On Friday, CBS News announced a significant change to its interview policy for the Sunday show “Face the Nation” following backlash from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem over editing her recent interview.

The news network states that “Face the Nation” will start airing its interviews unedited or aired “live-to-tape”, an industry term meaning recorded in real-time. This change comes less than a week after Kristi Noem appeared on the show and criticized CBS for their edits upon its release.

In a statement from the DHS, Noem criticized CBS, claiming the interview was “shamefully edited” to “whitewash the truth.” The interview, which aired on August 31, partially covered Kilmar Abrego García, a Maryland man who was illegally deported to El Salvador despite a 2019 court order barring his deportation due to fear of persecution.

In the DHS’ recent statement about the interview, Noem says “CBS shamefully edited the interview to whitewash the truth about this MS-13 gang member and the threat he poses to American public safety.”

The press release said CBS cut “nearly four minutes” of Noem’s 16 minute speech on air and “in doing so, removed more than 23% of [her] answers exposing the truth about criminal illegal alien Kilmar Abrego García, President Donald Trump’s lawful actions to protect the American people, and Secretary Noem’s commitment to fight on behalf of the American people and their tax dollars.”

CBS responded by defending its procedure, stating that the interview was “edited for time and met all CBS news standards.” They added that the full interview and transcript were uploaded online the same morning the interview aired. The four-minute cut included claims or allegations made by Noem that have not been proven true in court.

Credit: Department of Homeland Security

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However, on Friday, CBS took further action, announcing that “in response to audience feedback” they have “implemented a new policy for greater transparency” in interviews. Now, interviews for the Sunday show will be aired in full and unedited.

This is not the first time CBS has received criticism from the Trump administration over an interview. Notably, Trump sued CBS last fall during his campaign over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris, where he alleged that CBS edited the footage in Harris’ favor.

Though experts considered Trump’s suit to have legal weaknesses, CBS’ parent company, Paramount Global, agreed to a $16 million settlement in July. The settlement was announced as Paramount sought approval from the Trump administration for a planned merger with Skydance Media.

Some critics think the settlement was influenced by the merger and are concerned about news organizations facing litigation from political figures. CBS News is currently looking to hire an ombudsman, a designated official appointed to investigate complaints such as Noem’s.

Since her start as Secretary, Noem has remained at the center of controversial headlines and in conflict with news networks. In 2024, she appeared on Fox News and blamed “fake news” for putting the “worst spin” on her memoir, referring a Guardian article that covered the chapter where Noem writes of her decision to shoot and kill her dog, and then her goat.

In June 2025, Noem claimed that LA was a “war zone” and “would have burned down if left to the devices of the mayor and governor”, which Mayor Karen Bass called an “outright lie.” With litigation issues on the rise, journalistic integrity and independent press remain hot topics of debate.

Due to pressure from the administration, news channels such as CBS are undergoing additional measures to revisit their reporting policies.