CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Removing Boast Regarding Broadcaster Compensating The President Large Funds
The broadcast network program the long-running news magazine heavily edited a conversation with the former president that aired on Sunday evening, marking his first one-on-one on the show since 2019.
Trump sat down with correspondent Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, but only approximately 28 minutes aired on television. A complete text version of the interview was later published, together with an extended online version from the interview.
These cuts stand out because, precisely 12 months before Trump's interview with O’Donnell in Florida, he had sued CBS over the editing from another 60 Minutes segment featuring the vice president, which he alleged had been deceptively edited to benefit her campaign during the race.
While many legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit calling it baseless and improbable to succeed on free speech grounds, CBS reached an agreement with Trump for millions in July. As part of the agreement, CBS had agreed to publish transcripts from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.
During the opening of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell informed the audience that Paramount resolved Trump’s lawsuit, but noted that the resolution lacked any admission or expression of regret”.
During the interview, in one segment omitted from broadcast, Trump needled CBS about the agreement restating his allegations toward the broadcaster.
“In fact 60 Minutes paid me a lotta money. And you don’t have to put this on, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I trust you’re not,” Trump stated. “But 60 Minutes had to pay me a lot of money since they took Harris’s response out that was so bad, it proved decisive, 48 hours prior to voting. They inserted a different response in. They compensated me handsomely for that. You can’t have false reporting. You’ve gotta have legit news. I believe that it’s happening.”
During another segment not broadcast of the interview, the president commended the sale of CBS to the Ellison family and said the broadcaster's recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, was a “great new leader”.
The US president admitted he was not acquainted with Weiss, but told O’Donnell: “People say she’s a great person.
“I think you've acquired a great new leader, honestly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your whole enterprise, is superb – from what I know,” he said.
Trump was especially effusive in complimenting David Ellison and his parent, Larry Ellison, the new owner of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, via their firm Skydance Media.
“I think one of the best things to happen is this show and new ownership, CBS and new ownership,” the president commented. “I believe it is a major improvement that’s happened for years toward a transparent and reliable media.”
O’Donnell offered no direct reply regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the owners.
Included in the president's responses which were cut were multiple statements questioning the legitimacy of the last election, which he said “had been manipulated and stolen”.
During one exchange in the interview, in a part that was not aired, the president attempted to persuade the journalist to admit that crime was down in Washington DC, where she lives.
“You reside in DC. You know that too,” Trump said, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Do you see any change?”
“I think I have been occupied too hard,” O’Donnell replied. “I have not gotten out and about that much … I get in my car to the studio and I go home.”
The president said “that is an evasion” maintaining that the journalist noticed a difference.
Trump then implied that the back-and-forth didn’t need be included on the show.
“It is unnecessary to include that part,” he said. “No concerns, it's fine, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”