CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Removing Boast About Broadcaster Paying Him Substantial Funds

The broadcast network show 60 Minutes heavily trimmed a conversation featuring the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, marking his first sit-down with the program since 2019.

Trump spoke with correspondent the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, but only approximately half an hour were broadcast. The full transcript from the discussion subsequently published, alongside a 73-minute digital cut from the interview.

The edits stand out since, precisely 12 months prior to the president's appearance on the program at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against CBS regarding post-production changes from another 60 Minutes interview featuring Kamala Harris, claiming it was manipulated to benefit her chances in the presidential election.

While numerous legal experts largely rejected the legal action calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for $16m in July. Under the settlement, CBS committed to release transcripts from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.

At the beginning of the broadcast, O’Donnell informed the audience that Paramount resolved the legal dispute, but noted that “the settlement did not include any admission or expression of regret”.

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

“In fact the program paid me a lotta money. And you don’t have to include this, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I’m sure you’re not,” the president stated. “But 60 Minutes had to compensate me a lot of money since they took her answer out that was so bad, it was election-changing, two nights before the election. They inserted a new answer in. And they paid me a lot of money because of it. You can’t have fake news. We must have legit news. I believe that it’s happening.”

In a separate segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president commended the sale of CBS to the Ellison family noting the network’s recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, is a “great new leader”.

The US president said he didn’t know the editor, yet informed O’Donnell: “I hear she’s a great person.

“In my view you have a talented director, honestly, that individual now heading your whole enterprise, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.

Trump was especially enthusiastic in complimenting the executive and his parent, Larry Ellison, the new owner of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, via their firm Skydance Media.

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

The correspondent did not directly respond to the president’s comments concerning the editor and the owners.

Among the president's responses which were cut were several comments doubting the integrity of the last election, which he said “was rigged and stolen”.

During one exchange in the conversation, in a part that was not aired, the president tried to get O’Donnell to admit that crime was down in the capital, where she lives.

“You reside in DC. You know that too,” the president remarked, asking O’Donnell: “Have you noticed any change?”

“I believe I have been occupied excessively,” she responded. “I haven’t been out and about often … I get in my car to the studio and return home.”

The president responded “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that the journalist had observed a difference.

The president then implied that the exchange need not be included in the program.

“You don’t have to include that part,” he said. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I do not wish to embarrass her.”