The Network Heavily Edits Donald Trump's 60 Minutes Sit-Down, Removing Claim Regarding Broadcaster Compensating The President Substantial Money

The broadcast network program the long-running news magazine heavily edited a conversation featuring Donald Trump that aired Sunday night, marking his first sit-down with the program since 2019.

Trump spoke with correspondent the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, but only approximately half an hour were broadcast. A complete transcript of the interview subsequently published, together with a 73-minute online version of the conversation.

These cuts are notable since, precisely 12 months prior to the president's appearance with O’Donnell in Florida, he filed suit against the network regarding post-production changes from another news program interview with then-Vice President the vice president, claiming it had been manipulated to benefit her chances in the presidential election.

Although many attorneys largely rejected the lawsuit as “meritless” and unlikely to hold up on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for millions in July. Under the agreement, the network committed that it would release transcripts from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.

During the opening of Sunday’s show, the correspondent reminded viewers that Paramount resolved the legal dispute, but noted that “the settlement did not include any admission or admission of wrongdoing”.

During the interview, in one segment that did not air, Trump needled the network over the settlement restating his claims against the network.

“Actually 60 Minutes gave me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to include this, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I trust you’re not,” Trump said. “However 60 Minutes was forced to pay me a lot of money since they took her answer from the segment which was damaging, it was election-changing, 48 hours before the election. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. And they paid me handsomely for that. You can’t have false reporting. We must have legit news. I believe that it’s happening.”

During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president praised the acquisition of CBS to the Ellison family and said the network’s new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, was a “excellent addition”.

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

“I think you've acquired a talented director, frankly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is superb – from what I know,” he remarked.

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

“In my opinion one of the best things recently involves this program and the change in ownership, the network and new ownership,” Trump said. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that has occurred for years toward a transparent and good press.”

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

Included in Trump’s many answers that were edited out were multiple statements questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “had been manipulated and stolen”.

At one point in the interview, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, the president tried to get O’Donnell to admit that crime was down in the capital, her place of residence.

“You reside in DC. You know that too,” the president said, asking the correspondent: “Do you see any change?”

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

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

Trump then implied that the back-and-forth didn’t need be included in the program.

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