CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Omitting Boast About Network Compensating The President Large Money

The CBS News show 60 Minutes heavily edited a conversation with the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, representing the initial sit-down on the show in five years.

Trump sat down with correspondent Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, but only approximately half an hour were broadcast. The full transcript of the interview was later published, alongside an extended digital cut from the interview.

The edits stand out since, precisely 12 months before the president's appearance on the program in Florida, he had sued the network over the editing of a news program interview featuring the vice president, claiming it had been deceptively edited to benefit her chances during the race.

Although numerous attorneys widely dismissed the lawsuit calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed under the first amendment, CBS settled with Trump for $16m this past summer. Under the settlement, the network committed to release full records of future interviews with candidates.

During the opening of the broadcast, the correspondent informed the audience that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, but noted that “the settlement did not include any admission or admission of wrongdoing”.

During the interview, in a clip that did not air, the president teased CBS over the settlement restating his claims toward the broadcaster.

“In fact the program gave me a lotta money. And you don’t have to put this on, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I trust that you are not,” Trump said. “However 60 Minutes was forced to pay me a large amount since they removed Harris’s response from the segment that was so bad, it proved election-changing, 48 hours before the election. And they put a different response into the broadcast. And they paid me handsomely because of it. You can’t have fake news. We must have legit news. I believe that it’s happening.”

During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president praised the sale of CBS to the Ellison family and said the broadcaster's recently appointed head, the journalist, was a “great new leader”.

The US president 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 great new leader, frankly, that individual now heading your whole enterprise, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he said.

Trump was especially effusive in complimenting David Ellison and his father, Larry, the new owner of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance.

“I think one of the best things recently involves this program and the change in ownership, CBS under new management,” the president said. “I think it is a major improvement that has occurred in a long time to a free and open and good press.”

The correspondent did not directly respond regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the Ellisons.

Included in the president's responses which were cut were multiple statements doubting the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.

During one exchange 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 know that too,” the president remarked, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Have you noticed any change?”

“I think I’ve been working too hard,” she replied. “I haven’t been outside often … I get in my car to the studio and return home.”

The president responded “that is an evasion” and insisted that O’Donnell noticed an improvement.

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

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he noted. “No concerns, it's fine, I do not wish to embarrass her.”