CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Omitting Claim About Network Compensating The President Substantial Money

This CBS News show the long-running news magazine heavily edited an interview featuring Donald Trump broadcast Sunday night, marking his first sit-down with the program since 2019.

The former president sat down with correspondent the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, but only about half an hour were broadcast. A complete text version from the discussion was later published, together with an extended online version of the conversation.

The edits are notable since, exactly one year before the president's interview on the program in Florida, he filed suit against the network regarding post-production changes from another 60 Minutes interview featuring the vice president, claiming it was deceptively edited to benefit her campaign in the presidential election.

While numerous legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit calling it baseless and unlikely to hold up on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for $16m this past summer. As part of the settlement, the network committed to release transcripts from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.

During the opening of the broadcast, the correspondent reminded viewers that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, but noted that “the settlement did not include any admission or admission of wrongdoing”.

In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, Trump teased CBS about the agreement restating his claims toward the broadcaster.

“In fact the program paid me a substantial sum. You need not include this, because I don’t wanna embarrass you, and I trust that you are not,” the president stated. “However the show had to compensate me a lot of money since they removed Harris’s response out that was so bad, it was decisive, two nights prior to voting. And they put a new answer in. And they paid me handsomely because of it. You can’t have false reporting. We must have legit news. And I think this is occurring.”

During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president commended the sale of CBS to new owners noting the network’s recently appointed head, the journalist, was a “excellent addition”.

The US president admitted he was not acquainted with Weiss, yet informed the interviewer: “I hear she is impressive.

“I think you've acquired a talented director, honestly, who’s the young woman now heading your entire organization, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he said.

The president was especially effusive in complimenting the executive and his father, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance Media.

“I think a very positive development to happen involves this program and new ownership, CBS under new management,” the president said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time toward a transparent and reliable media.”

The correspondent did not directly respond to the president’s comments concerning the editor and the Ellisons.

Included in Trump’s many answers which were cut were several comments questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “had been manipulated and stolen”.

During one exchange in the interview, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade O’Donnell to acknowledge that crime was down in Washington DC, where she lives.

“You live here. You are aware of this,” the president said, asking O’Donnell: “Do you see any change?”

“I think I have been occupied excessively,” O’Donnell replied. “I haven’t been out and about often … I get in my car and go to work and return home.”

The president responded “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that O’Donnell had observed a difference.

The president then seemed to suggest that the exchange need not to be aired in the program.

“It is unnecessary to include that part,” he noted. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I do not wish to cause her embarrassment.”