The Network Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Omitting Claim About Network Paying The President Substantial Funds

This broadcast network show the long-running news magazine significantly trimmed an interview with the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, representing his first one-on-one on the show since 2019.

The former president spoke with correspondent Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, yet merely about half an hour aired on television. A complete text version of the interview subsequently released, alongside a 73-minute digital cut of the conversation.

These cuts are notable because, precisely 12 months prior to Trump's interview on the program at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against the network over the editing from another news program segment with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged was manipulated to help her campaign in the presidential election.

Although numerous attorneys largely rejected the legal action calling it baseless and unlikely to hold up on free speech grounds, CBS reached an agreement with the president for millions in July. Under the agreement, CBS committed to release transcripts of future interviews with candidates.

During the opening of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell informed the audience that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, but noted that the resolution did not include any admission or admission of wrongdoing”.

During the interview, in a clip omitted from broadcast, the president teased CBS about the agreement and repeated his claims against the network.

“In fact 60 Minutes paid me a substantial sum. You need not include this, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I’m sure you’re not,” Trump stated. “However 60 Minutes had to compensate me a large amount because they removed Harris’s response out that was so bad, 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. We cannot tolerate fake news. We must have truthful journalism. And I think this is occurring.”

During another segment not broadcast of the interview, Trump praised the acquisition of the network to new owners noting the network’s recently appointed head, the journalist, was a “excellent addition”.

The US president admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, but told the interviewer: “I hear she’s a great person.

“In my view you've acquired a talented director, frankly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is superb – from what I know,” he said.

Trump was especially enthusiastic in complimenting David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, via their firm Skydance.

“In my opinion one of the best things to happen is this show and the change in ownership, the network under new management,” Trump 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 did not directly respond to the president’s comments about Weiss and the owners.

Included in Trump’s many answers that were edited out were several comments questioning the integrity of the last election, which he said “was rigged and stolen”.

At one point in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, the president attempted to persuade O’Donnell to admit that safety had improved in the capital, her place of residence.

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

“I think I have been occupied excessively,” she responded. “I haven’t been out and about that much … I get in my car to the studio and I go home.”

The president said “that is an evasion” maintaining that O’Donnell noticed an improvement.

Trump then implied that the back-and-forth need not be included in the program.

“You don’t have to use that one,” he noted. “No concerns, don’t worry, I do not wish to cause her embarrassment.”