The Network Heavily Edits Donald Trump's TV Program Interview, Removing Boast Regarding Network Paying The President Substantial Money

The CBS News show 60 Minutes significantly edited a conversation with Donald Trump that aired on Sunday evening, representing his first one-on-one on the show in five years.

Trump spoke with correspondent the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, but only about 28 minutes aired on television. The full transcript of the interview subsequently published, together with an extended digital cut from the interview.

These cuts are notable since, exactly one year before the president's interview on the program in Florida, he filed suit against the network regarding the editing from another 60 Minutes segment featuring Kamala Harris, claiming it was manipulated to help her campaign during the race.

While many legal experts widely dismissed the legal action calling it baseless and improbable to succeed under the first amendment, CBS settled with Trump for millions in July. As part of the agreement, the network committed to release full records from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.

At the beginning of Sunday’s show, the correspondent reminded viewers that the parent company settled the legal dispute, but noted that “the settlement did not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing”.

In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, the president needled the network over the settlement and repeated his allegations toward the broadcaster.

“In fact the program gave me a lotta money. You need not put this on, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I’m sure that you are not,” Trump stated. “However 60 Minutes was forced to pay me a lot of money because they removed Harris’s response out that was so bad, it proved decisive, two nights before the election. And they put a new answer in. And they paid me handsomely for that. You can’t have false reporting. We must have legit news. I believe this is occurring.”

During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, Trump praised the sale of the network to the Ellison family and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, the journalist, was a “excellent addition”.

The US president said he didn’t know the editor, but told the interviewer: “People say she’s a great person.

“I think you have a talented director, frankly, that individual now heading your entire organization, is superb – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.

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

“I think a very positive development recently is this show and new ownership, CBS under new management,” the president commented. “I believe it is a major improvement that’s happened 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 Trump’s many answers which were cut were several comments questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, which he said “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.

During one exchange in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, the president attempted to persuade O’Donnell to acknowledge that safety had improved in the capital, her place of residence.

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

“I believe I’ve been working too hard,” she replied. “I have not gotten outside 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 had observed an improvement.

Trump then seemed to suggest that the exchange need not be included in the program.

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he said. “No concerns, don’t worry, I do not wish to cause her embarrassment.”