The Network Heavily Edits Trump's TV Program Interview, Removing Claim About Broadcaster Paying Him Substantial Funds

The CBS News program 60 Minutes heavily trimmed an interview featuring Donald Trump broadcast on Sunday evening, representing the initial sit-down with the program since 2019.

Trump spoke alongside journalist Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, but only approximately half an hour were broadcast. A complete text version of the interview was later released, together with a 73-minute digital cut from the interview.

These cuts stand out since, exactly one year before the president's interview on the program in Florida, he had sued the network regarding post-production changes of a news program segment with then-Vice President the vice president, which he alleged had been manipulated to benefit her campaign during the race.

Although many legal experts largely rejected the lawsuit calling it baseless and improbable to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for millions in July. As part of the settlement, CBS committed that it would release transcripts from upcoming discussions with candidates.

At the beginning of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell reminded viewers that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, adding that “the settlement did not include any admission or expression of regret”.

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

“In fact 60 Minutes gave me a substantial sum. You need not include this, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I trust that you are not,” the president said. “But 60 Minutes had to pay me a large amount since they removed Harris’s response from the segment that was so bad, it was election-changing, two nights before the election. They inserted a different response into the broadcast. They compensated me handsomely because of it. You can’t have false reporting. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. And I think this is occurring.”

During another un-aired portion of the interview, the president commended the acquisition of CBS to new owners noting the broadcaster's recently appointed head, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”.

The US president said he didn’t know Weiss, but told the interviewer: “People say she’s a great person.

“I think you've acquired a great new leader, frankly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your whole enterprise, is superb – from what I know,” he said.

The president was especially enthusiastic in praising the executive and his parent, Larry, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, through their company Skydance Media.

“In my opinion a very positive development recently involves this program and the change in ownership, the network under new management,” Trump said. “I think it is a major improvement that has occurred in a long time toward a transparent and good press.”

O’Donnell did not directly respond regarding these remarks about Weiss and the owners.

Among Trump’s many answers which were cut were several comments doubting the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, which he said “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.

During one exchange in the conversation, in a part omitted from the broadcast, the president attempted to persuade the journalist to acknowledge that crime was down in the capital, where she lives.

“You live here. You are aware of this,” the president remarked, asking O’Donnell: “Have you noticed any change?”

“I believe I’ve been working excessively,” she responded. “I haven’t been outside often … I drive and go to work and I go home.”

Trump said “that is an evasion” maintaining that O’Donnell had observed a difference.

Trump then implied that the exchange didn’t need be included in the program.

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he said. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”