CBS News Significantly Trims Donald Trump's TV Program Interview, Removing Claim About Broadcaster Compensating Him Substantial Funds

The CBS News show the long-running news magazine heavily edited a conversation featuring Donald Trump broadcast Sunday night, marking the initial sit-down with the program in five years.

The former president sat down with correspondent the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, but only about 28 minutes aired on television. A complete transcript of the interview subsequently released, together with an extended online version from the interview.

The edits stand out since, precisely 12 months before the president's interview with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against the network regarding post-production changes from another news program segment with then-Vice President the vice president, claiming it was deceptively edited to benefit her chances during the race.

While many attorneys largely rejected the lawsuit calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed on free speech grounds, CBS reached an agreement with the president for $16m in July. As part of the agreement, the network had agreed that it would release transcripts of future interviews with candidates.

At the beginning of Sunday’s show, the correspondent reminded viewers that Paramount settled the legal dispute, adding that “the settlement lacked any admission or admission of wrongdoing”.

In the conversation, in a clip that did not air, Trump needled CBS over the settlement restating his claims against the network.

“Actually 60 Minutes paid me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to include this, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I trust that you are not,” Trump said. “However the show had to compensate me a large amount since they took Harris’s response out which was damaging, it was decisive, 48 hours before the election. And they put a new answer in. They compensated me handsomely because of it. We cannot tolerate false reporting. We must have legit news. And I think that it’s happening.”

In a separate un-aired portion from the discussion, the president praised the sale of the network to new owners and said the network’s recently appointed head, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”.

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

“In my view you have a great new leader, honestly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.

The president was particularly enthusiastic in praising David Ellison and his father, Larry, the new owner of the network's parent firm, Paramount, via their firm Skydance.

“In my opinion a very positive development to happen involves this program and new ownership, the network under new management,” the president commented. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that has occurred in a long time toward a transparent and reliable media.”

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

Included in the president's responses which were cut were several comments doubting the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he said “had been manipulated and unlawfully taken”.

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

“You live here. You are aware of this,” Trump said, asking O’Donnell: “Have you noticed a difference?”

“I believe I’ve been working too hard,” she replied. “I have not gotten out and about often … I get in my car to the studio and I go home.”

Trump said “that’s not a fair answer” maintaining that O’Donnell noticed a difference.

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

“You don’t have to include that part,” he said. “No concerns, it's fine, I don’t want to embarrass her.”