CBS News Heavily Edits Trump's 60 Minutes Sit-Down, Removing Boast About Broadcaster Compensating Him Substantial Funds
The broadcast network show the long-running news magazine significantly trimmed an interview featuring Donald Trump broadcast on Sunday evening, marking the initial sit-down with the program in five years.
Trump spoke alongside journalist the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, but only about 28 minutes were broadcast. A complete text version of the interview was later released, together with an extended online version from the interview.
The edits stand out since, precisely 12 months prior to Trump's interview on the program in Florida, he filed suit against the network over the editing of a news program segment with then-Vice President the vice president, which he alleged was manipulated to benefit her chances during the race.
While numerous attorneys widely dismissed the legal action as “meritless” and improbable to hold up under the first amendment, CBS reached an agreement with the president for $16m this past summer. Under the settlement, CBS committed that it would release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates.
During the opening of Sunday’s show, the correspondent reminded viewers that the parent company resolved Trump’s lawsuit, adding that the resolution did not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing”.
In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, the president teased the network over the settlement and repeated his claims against the network.
“Actually the program gave me a substantial sum. You need not put this on, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I trust that you are not,” Trump stated. “However the show was forced to compensate me a lot of money since they removed her answer from the segment that was so bad, it was decisive, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. They compensated me handsomely because of it. We cannot tolerate false reporting. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. And I think this is occurring.”
During another segment not broadcast of the interview, the president commended the acquisition of CBS to new owners noting the broadcaster's recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, is a “excellent addition”.
Trump said he didn’t know Weiss, yet informed the interviewer: “I hear she’s a great person.
“I think you have a talented director, honestly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your entire organization, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.
Trump was particularly enthusiastic in praising David Ellison and his parent, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance.
“I think a very positive development to happen involves this program and new ownership, the network and new ownership,” the president commented. “I believe it is a major improvement that’s happened in a long time toward a transparent and good press.”
The correspondent offered no direct reply regarding these remarks about Weiss and the owners.
Included in the president's responses that were edited out were multiple statements questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and stolen”.
During one exchange in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, the president attempted to persuade O’Donnell to acknowledge that crime was down in Washington DC, her place of residence.
“You reside in DC. You know that too,” the president remarked, asking O’Donnell: “Do you see a difference?”
“I think I’ve been working excessively,” O’Donnell replied. “I have not gotten outside that much … I drive to the studio and return home.”
The president responded “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that O’Donnell noticed a difference.
Trump then seemed to suggest that the exchange need not be included on the show.
“You don’t have to include that part,” he said. “Don’t worry, it's fine, I don’t want to embarrass her.”
