CBS News Heavily Edits Donald Trump's 60 Minutes Sit-Down, Removing Claim About Broadcaster Compensating The President Large Money
The CBS News program 60 Minutes heavily trimmed an interview featuring the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, marking his first one-on-one with the program since 2019.
Trump sat down alongside journalist the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, yet merely about half an hour were broadcast. The full transcript of the interview subsequently released, alongside an extended digital cut from the interview.
The edits are notable since, precisely 12 months prior to the president's appearance with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against the network regarding post-production changes of a 60 Minutes interview featuring the vice president, claiming it was deceptively edited to help her campaign during the race.
While numerous legal experts largely rejected the lawsuit calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed under the first amendment, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for $16m in July. Under the settlement, CBS committed to publish full records from upcoming discussions with candidates.
During the opening of Sunday’s show, the correspondent reminded viewers that Paramount resolved Trump’s lawsuit, adding that “the settlement lacked an apology or expression of regret”.
During the interview, in one segment omitted from broadcast, the president needled CBS about the agreement restating his allegations against the network.
“Actually 60 Minutes paid me a lotta money. You need not put this on, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I’m sure you’re not,” Trump said. “But 60 Minutes had to pay me a lot of money since they took Harris’s response from the segment that was so bad, it was decisive, two nights prior to voting. And they put a different response in. They compensated me a lot of money for that. You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. I believe that it’s happening.”
During another segment not broadcast of the interview, Trump commended the acquisition of CBS to new owners noting the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, is a “excellent addition”.
The US president admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, but told the interviewer: “I hear she is impressive.
“In my view you have a great new leader, honestly, that individual that’s leading your whole enterprise, is a great – from what I know,” he said.
The president was especially enthusiastic in complimenting the executive and his father, Larry, the new owner of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, via their firm Skydance Media.
“I think one of the best things to happen involves this program and the change in ownership, the network under new management,” the president commented. “I believe it is a major improvement that’s happened for years toward a transparent and good press.”
O’Donnell offered no direct reply regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the Ellisons.
Among the president's responses which were cut were multiple statements questioning the integrity of the last election, which he said “had been manipulated and unlawfully taken”.
At one point in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, Trump tried to get O’Donnell to acknowledge that crime was down in the capital, where she lives.
“You reside in DC. You are aware of this,” Trump said, asking O’Donnell: “Have you noticed any change?”
“I think I have been occupied too hard,” she replied. “I haven’t been outside that much … I get in my car and go to work and return home.”
Trump said “that is an evasion” and insisted that the journalist noticed a difference.
Trump then seemed to suggest that the back-and-forth need not be included on the show.
“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he said. “Don’t worry, it's fine, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”
