CBS News Heavily Edits Donald Trump's 60 Minutes Sit-Down, Omitting Claim About Network Compensating Him Large Money

The broadcast network show the long-running news magazine significantly edited a conversation with the former president broadcast Sunday night, representing the initial one-on-one on the show since 2019.

The former president spoke with correspondent Norah O’Donnell over an hour and a half, yet merely approximately 28 minutes aired on television. A complete transcript of the interview was later released, together with an extended digital cut from the interview.

The edits stand out since, exactly one year before the president's interview on the program at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he had sued CBS regarding the editing from another news program interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged had been deceptively edited to benefit her chances during the race.

Although numerous legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit as “meritless” and unlikely to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster settled with the president for millions this past summer. As part of the agreement, CBS had agreed to release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates.

At the beginning of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell informed the audience that Paramount settled the legal dispute, adding that the resolution lacked an apology or expression of regret”.

In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, Trump needled CBS about the agreement restating his allegations toward the broadcaster.

“Actually the program gave 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 said. “But 60 Minutes was forced 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 different response in. They compensated me a lot of money because of it. We cannot tolerate fake news. We must have truthful journalism. And I think that it’s happening.”

In a separate un-aired portion of the interview, the president commended the acquisition of the network to the Ellison family and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”.

Trump admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, yet informed O’Donnell: “People say she is impressive.

“I think you have a talented director, frankly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he said.

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

“In my opinion a very positive development to happen is this show and the change in ownership, the network under new management,” Trump said. “I believe it is a major improvement that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and good press.”

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 several comments questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and stolen”.

During one exchange in the interview, in a segment that was not aired, the president attempted to persuade the journalist to admit that crime was down in the capital, her place of residence.

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

“I think I have been occupied too hard,” O’Donnell replied. “I haven’t been out and about that much … I get in my car to the studio and I go home.”

Trump said “that’s not a fair answer” maintaining that the journalist noticed a difference.

The president then implied that the back-and-forth need not to be aired on the show.

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