The Network Heavily Edits Trump's 60 Minutes Sit-Down, Omitting Claim About Network Compensating The President Large Money

This CBS News program 60 Minutes heavily edited an interview with Donald Trump broadcast on Sunday evening, representing the initial one-on-one on the show in five years.

The former president spoke alongside journalist the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, yet merely approximately half an hour aired on television. A complete transcript of the interview subsequently published, together with a 73-minute online version from the interview.

These cuts stand out since, exactly one year prior to the president's interview with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against CBS regarding the editing from another 60 Minutes segment with then-Vice President the vice president, claiming it was deceptively edited to help her campaign during the race.

Although many attorneys widely dismissed the lawsuit calling it baseless and improbable to succeed under the first amendment, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for $16m this past summer. As part of the agreement, CBS committed that it would release transcripts from upcoming discussions with candidates.

At the beginning of Sunday’s show, the correspondent reminded viewers that Paramount resolved Trump’s lawsuit, but noted that the resolution did not include any admission or expression of regret”.

During the interview, in a clip omitted from broadcast, the president needled CBS about the agreement restating his allegations toward the broadcaster.

“Actually 60 Minutes paid me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to include this, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I’m sure that you are not,” the president stated. “However 60 Minutes had to pay me a lot of money since they took her answer from the segment that was so bad, it was election-changing, 48 hours before the election. And they put a new answer in. They compensated me handsomely for that. We cannot tolerate fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think that it’s happening.”

In a separate un-aired portion of the interview, Trump praised the sale of CBS to the Ellison family and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, is a “excellent addition”.

The US president said he didn’t know Weiss, but told the interviewer: “I hear she’s a great person.

“I think you've acquired a talented director, honestly, who’s the young woman that’s leading your entire organization, is superb – based on what I've heard,” he said.

The president was especially effusive in complimenting David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of the network's parent firm, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance.

“I think one of the best things recently is this show and the change in ownership, the network under new management,” Trump said. “I believe it is a major improvement that has occurred for years toward a transparent and good press.”

The correspondent did not directly respond to the president’s comments about Weiss and the owners.

Among Trump’s many answers which were cut were several comments doubting the integrity of the last election, which he described “was rigged and stolen”.

During one exchange in the conversation, in a part omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade O’Donnell to acknowledge that safety had improved in Washington DC, her place of residence.

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

“I believe I have been occupied too hard,” she responded. “I have not gotten outside often … I drive to the studio and I go home.”

Trump responded “that’s not a fair answer” maintaining that O’Donnell noticed an improvement.

The president then implied that the back-and-forth need not be included in the program.

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