CBS News Heavily Edits Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Removing Boast About Network Paying Him Substantial Money
This CBS News program 60 Minutes significantly edited a conversation featuring the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, representing the initial sit-down with the program since 2019.
Trump sat down alongside journalist the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, yet merely about half an hour were broadcast. A complete text version from the discussion was later published, together with an extended digital cut of the conversation.
The edits stand out since, precisely 12 months prior to the president's appearance on the program in Florida, he filed suit against the network over the editing from another news program segment featuring the vice president, which he alleged had been manipulated to benefit her campaign in the presidential election.
Although many legal experts largely rejected the legal action calling it baseless and improbable to hold up on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for $16m in July. Under the agreement, CBS committed that it would release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates.
During the opening of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell reminded viewers that Paramount settled the legal dispute, but noted that the resolution did not include an apology or expression of regret”.
During the interview, in a clip omitted from broadcast, Trump teased the network over the settlement and repeated his allegations toward the broadcaster.
“Actually the program gave me a lotta money. And you don’t have to put this on, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I’m sure that you are not,” Trump stated. “However the show was forced to compensate me a large amount because they removed Harris’s response out that was so bad, it was decisive, two nights before the election. And they put a different response into the broadcast. And they paid me a lot of money for that. We cannot tolerate false reporting. We must have legit news. I believe this is occurring.”
In a separate segment not broadcast from the discussion, Trump praised 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 the editor, yet informed the interviewer: “People say she’s a great person.
“I think you have a great new leader, frankly, that individual that’s leading your whole enterprise, is superb – from what I know,” he said.
Trump was particularly effusive in praising the executive and his father, Larry, the new owner of the network's parent firm, Paramount Global, via their firm Skydance Media.
“I think one of the best things recently involves this program and new ownership, the network and new ownership,” the president said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and reliable media.”
O’Donnell offered no direct reply to the president’s comments about Weiss and the Ellisons.
Included in the president's responses which were cut were multiple statements doubting the legitimacy of the last election, which he said “was rigged and stolen”.
At one point in the interview, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade O’Donnell to admit that safety had improved in Washington DC, where she lives.
“You live here. You are aware of this,” Trump said, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Do you see any change?”
“I think I’ve been working too hard,” O’Donnell replied. “I haven’t been outside that much … I drive and go to work and return home.”
Trump responded “that is an evasion” and insisted that O’Donnell had observed an improvement.
The president then seemed to suggest that the exchange didn’t need to be aired in the program.
“It is unnecessary to include that part,” he noted. “No concerns, don’t worry, I do not wish to embarrass her.”
