The Network Significantly Trims Donald Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Omitting Claim Regarding Broadcaster Paying Him Substantial Money

The CBS News program the long-running news magazine significantly trimmed an interview with Donald Trump broadcast Sunday night, marking his first sit-down on the show in five years.

Trump spoke alongside journalist Norah O’Donnell over an hour and a half, but only approximately half an hour aired on television. The full transcript of the interview subsequently released, alongside an extended online version of the conversation.

These cuts are notable because, exactly one year 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 the vice president, which he alleged was manipulated to benefit her campaign in the presidential election.

While numerous legal experts largely rejected the lawsuit calling it baseless and improbable to succeed under the first amendment, CBS settled with the president for millions this past summer. As part of the agreement, CBS had agreed that it would publish full records from upcoming discussions with candidates.

At the beginning of the broadcast, the correspondent informed the audience that the parent company settled Trump’s lawsuit, adding that “the settlement lacked an apology or admission of wrongdoing”.

During the interview, in one segment omitted from broadcast, Trump needled CBS about the agreement and repeated his allegations toward the broadcaster.

“In fact 60 Minutes paid me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to put this on, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I trust you’re not,” the president stated. “However the show had to compensate me a large amount since they removed her answer out which was damaging, it was decisive, 48 hours prior to voting. They inserted a new answer in. And they paid me a lot of money because of it. You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. I believe that it’s happening.”

During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president praised the acquisition of CBS to new owners noting the broadcaster's recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, is a “great new leader”.

The US president admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, yet informed O’Donnell: “People say she’s a great person.

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

The president was particularly enthusiastic in complimenting David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the new owner of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, via their firm Skydance.

“In my opinion a very positive development recently is this show and the change in ownership, the network and new ownership,” the president commented. “I believe it is a major improvement that has occurred in a long time to a free and open and reliable media.”

The correspondent offered no direct reply to the president’s comments about Weiss and the owners.

Among the president's responses that were edited out were several comments questioning the integrity of the last election, which he described “had been manipulated and stolen”.

During one exchange in the interview, in a part omitted from the broadcast, the president attempted to persuade O’Donnell to admit that safety had improved in Washington DC, where she lives.

“You reside in DC. You know that too,” the president remarked, inquiring of the correspondent: “Do you see a difference?”

“I think I have been occupied excessively,” O’Donnell responded. “I haven’t been out and about often … I drive to the studio and I go home.”

The president said “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that O’Donnell noticed an improvement.

Trump then seemed to suggest that the exchange didn’t need be included on the show.

“You don’t have to include that part,” he noted. “No concerns, it's fine, I do not wish to embarrass her.”