The Network Heavily Edits Donald Trump's 60 Minutes Interview, Omitting Boast Regarding Broadcaster Paying Him Substantial Money

The broadcast network program the long-running news magazine significantly trimmed a conversation with the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, marking the initial sit-down with the program since 2019.

Trump sat down with correspondent the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, yet merely about 28 minutes aired on television. The full text version from the discussion subsequently published, together with an extended online version from the interview.

The edits stand out because, precisely 12 months before the president's interview with O’Donnell in Florida, he had sued the network regarding the editing from another 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming it was deceptively edited to help her chances during the race.

While many legal experts widely dismissed the legal action calling it baseless and improbable to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster settled with the president for millions this past summer. Under the settlement, the network committed that it would release transcripts of future interviews with candidates.

At the beginning of the broadcast, the correspondent reminded viewers that the parent company settled the legal dispute, adding that the resolution did not include an apology or expression of regret”.

During the interview, in a clip omitted from broadcast, Trump needled the network about the agreement and repeated his allegations toward the broadcaster.

“In fact the program paid me a lotta money. And you don’t have to include this, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I trust you’re not,” the president stated. “But the show was forced to compensate me a large amount since they took Harris’s response from the segment that was so bad, it proved election-changing, 48 hours before the election. They inserted a different response into the broadcast. And they paid me a lot of money because of it. We cannot tolerate false reporting. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think this is occurring.”

In a separate segment not broadcast of the interview, Trump praised the sale of CBS to new owners noting the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, was a “excellent addition”.

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

“In my view you have a great new leader, frankly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your whole enterprise, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.

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

“In my opinion a very positive development to happen is this show and new ownership, CBS under new management,” Trump commented. “I think it is a major improvement that’s happened for years toward a transparent and good press.”

O’Donnell did not directly respond regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the owners.

Among the president's responses that were edited out were multiple statements doubting the legitimacy of the last election, which he said “was rigged and stolen”.

At one point in the conversation, in a segment that was not aired, the president tried to get O’Donnell to acknowledge that safety had improved in Washington DC, where she lives.

“You reside in DC. You know that too,” Trump remarked, inquiring of the correspondent: “Have you noticed a difference?”

“I believe I have been occupied excessively,” O’Donnell responded. “I haven’t been outside often … I get in my car and go to work and return home.”

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

The president then seemed to suggest that the back-and-forth didn’t need to be aired on the show.

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he said. “Don’t worry, it's fine, I do not wish to embarrass her.”