CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Sit-Down, Removing Claim Regarding Broadcaster Compensating The President Substantial Money

This broadcast network program 60 Minutes heavily edited a conversation with the former president broadcast Sunday night, representing his first sit-down on the show in five years.

The former president spoke with correspondent the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, but only approximately 28 minutes were broadcast. A complete text version of the interview was later published, alongside a 73-minute digital cut of the conversation.

These cuts stand out since, precisely 12 months before the president's appearance with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he had sued CBS over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview featuring the vice president, claiming it was manipulated to help her campaign during the race.

Although many legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit calling it baseless and improbable to succeed under the first amendment, CBS settled with the president for millions this past summer. As part of the agreement, the network had agreed that it would publish transcripts from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.

During the opening of the broadcast, the correspondent reminded viewers that Paramount resolved Trump’s lawsuit, but noted that “the settlement lacked an apology or expression of regret”.

In the conversation, in a clip that did not air, Trump needled the network about the agreement restating his allegations against the network.

“Actually the program paid me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to put this on, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I trust you’re not,” the president said. “However 60 Minutes had to compensate me a lot of money because they removed Harris’s response out which was damaging, it was election-changing, two nights before the election. And they put a new answer in. And they paid me a lot of money for that. You can’t have false reporting. We must have legit news. And I think this is occurring.”

During another segment not broadcast of the interview, Trump commended the acquisition of CBS to the Ellison family and said the network’s new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “great new leader”.

The US president said he didn’t know Weiss, but told the interviewer: “I hear she is impressive.

“I think you have a talented director, frankly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your whole enterprise, is a great – from what I know,” he said.

Trump was especially enthusiastic in complimenting the executive and his parent, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of the network's parent firm, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance.

“In my opinion a very positive development to happen is this show and the change in ownership, CBS and new ownership,” the president said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened for years to a free and open and reliable media.”

O’Donnell offered no direct reply regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the owners.

Among Trump’s many answers that were edited out were multiple statements doubting the integrity of the last election, which he said “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.

During one exchange in the conversation, in a part omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade O’Donnell to admit that safety had improved in Washington DC, her place of residence.

“You live here. You are aware of this,” Trump remarked, asking the correspondent: “Have you noticed any change?”

“I think I have been occupied too hard,” O’Donnell replied. “I haven’t been out and about that much … I drive and go to work and I go home.”

The president responded “that’s not a fair answer” maintaining that the journalist noticed an improvement.

The president then seemed to suggest that the exchange need not be included on the show.

“It is unnecessary to include that part,” he noted. “No concerns, don’t worry, I don’t want to embarrass her.”