CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Removing Claim Regarding Broadcaster Paying Him Substantial Money
The broadcast network show the long-running news magazine heavily trimmed a conversation featuring Donald Trump broadcast on Sunday evening, marking the initial one-on-one with the program in five years.
Trump spoke alongside journalist Norah O’Donnell over an hour and a half, yet merely about 28 minutes aired on television. The full transcript from the discussion subsequently released, alongside an extended digital cut of the conversation.
These cuts are notable since, exactly one year prior to Trump's interview with O’Donnell in Florida, he filed suit against the network over post-production changes from another 60 Minutes segment with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged had been manipulated to help her chances in the presidential election.
Although many legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit as “meritless” and improbable to hold up under the first amendment, CBS settled with Trump for $16m in July. As part of the settlement, the network had agreed that it would publish transcripts from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.
During the opening of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell reminded viewers that the parent company settled Trump’s lawsuit, but noted that the resolution lacked an apology or expression of regret”.
In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, Trump teased the network over the settlement restating his allegations toward the broadcaster.
“In fact the program gave me a lotta money. You need not put this on, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I trust you’re not,” Trump said. “But 60 Minutes had to pay me a lot of money because they took her answer from the segment which was damaging, it was decisive, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. And they paid me a lot of money because of it. You can’t have fake news. We must have truthful journalism. And I think that it’s happening.”
During another segment not broadcast of the interview, the president commended the acquisition of the network to the Ellison family and said the network’s recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, is a “great new leader”.
Trump admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, but told O’Donnell: “I hear she’s a great person.
“In my view you've acquired a talented director, honestly, that individual now heading your entire organization, is superb – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.
The president was particularly effusive in complimenting David Ellison and his parent, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, via their firm Skydance Media.
“I think one of the best things to happen involves this program and new ownership, CBS and new ownership,” the president said. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that has occurred for years toward a transparent and good press.”
The correspondent did not directly respond regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the owners.
Among the president's responses that were edited out were multiple statements doubting the legitimacy of the last election, which he said “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.
At one point in the interview, in a part that was not aired, the president tried to get the journalist to acknowledge that crime was down in the capital, where she lives.
“You live here. You are aware of this,” the president said, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Have you noticed a difference?”
“I believe I have been occupied too hard,” O’Donnell responded. “I have not gotten outside often … I get in my car to the studio and return home.”
The president said “that’s not a fair answer” maintaining that O’Donnell noticed a difference.
Trump then seemed to suggest that the back-and-forth need not be included in the program.
“You don’t have to use that one,” he noted. “No concerns, it's fine, I do not wish to embarrass her.”