CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Removing Claim Regarding Broadcaster Compensating The President Large Money

The CBS News program 60 Minutes heavily trimmed a conversation with the former president broadcast Sunday night, representing his first sit-down on the show since 2019.

The former president spoke with correspondent Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, yet merely approximately half an hour were broadcast. A complete text version from the discussion subsequently published, alongside an extended digital cut from the interview.

The edits stand out because, precisely 12 months before Trump's interview with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he had sued CBS regarding the editing of a 60 Minutes interview featuring Kamala Harris, which he alleged had been manipulated to benefit her campaign during the race.

Although numerous legal experts widely dismissed the legal action as “meritless” and improbable to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster settled with the president for $16m in July. As part of the agreement, CBS had agreed that it would release full records from upcoming discussions with candidates.

During the opening of the broadcast, the correspondent informed the audience that the parent company resolved Trump’s lawsuit, but noted that the resolution did not include an apology or expression of regret”.

In the conversation, in one segment that did not air, Trump teased the network over the settlement and repeated his allegations against the network.

“In fact 60 Minutes paid me a substantial sum. You need not put this on, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I’m sure that you are not,” the president stated. “But 60 Minutes was forced to pay me a large amount since they took Harris’s response from the segment which was damaging, it was decisive, 48 hours prior to voting. And they put a new answer in. And they paid me a lot of money for that. We cannot tolerate fake news. We must have truthful journalism. And I think that it’s happening.”

In a separate un-aired portion from the discussion, the president commended the sale of the network to the Ellison family noting the network’s new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, is a “great new leader”.

The US president said he didn’t know Weiss, yet informed the interviewer: “I hear she’s a great person.

“I think you've acquired a talented director, frankly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is a great – from what I know,” he remarked.

Trump was particularly effusive in praising the executive and his parent, Larry, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance Media.

“In my opinion one of the best things to happen is this show and new ownership, CBS and new ownership,” Trump commented. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and good press.”

O’Donnell did not directly respond regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the owners.

Among the president's responses which were cut were several comments doubting the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.

During one exchange in the conversation, in a part that was not aired, the president attempted to persuade the journalist to admit that crime was down in Washington DC, her place of residence.

“You reside in DC. You know that too,” Trump said, asking the correspondent: “Do you see any change?”

“I believe I’ve been working too hard,” she replied. “I haven’t been out and about that much … I drive to the studio and return home.”

Trump responded “that is an evasion” maintaining that the journalist had observed a difference.

The president then seemed to suggest that the exchange didn’t need to be aired on the show.

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he said. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I do not wish to embarrass her.”