🔗 Share this article The Network Significantly Trims Trump's TV Program Interview, Removing Claim About Broadcaster Compensating The President Substantial Money This broadcast network program 60 Minutes significantly edited an interview with the former president that aired on Sunday evening, marking the initial one-on-one with the program since 2019. The former president spoke alongside journalist Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, but only about 28 minutes aired on television. A complete transcript of the interview subsequently released, alongside an extended online version of the conversation. The edits stand out because, exactly one year before Trump's interview with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he had sued the network regarding the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged was deceptively edited to benefit her chances during the race. While many attorneys largely rejected the legal action calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster settled with the president for $16m this past summer. As part of the agreement, the network committed that it would release full records from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates. During the opening of the broadcast, O’Donnell reminded viewers that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, adding that the resolution lacked an apology or admission of wrongdoing”. During the interview, in a clip omitted from broadcast, Trump teased CBS over the settlement and repeated his claims toward the broadcaster. “In fact the program gave me a lotta money. You need not include this, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I trust you’re not,” the president stated. “However 60 Minutes was forced to compensate me a large amount since they removed Harris’s response out which was damaging, it was election-changing, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. They compensated me a lot of money for that. We cannot tolerate false reporting. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. I believe this is occurring.” During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president commended the sale of CBS to new owners and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”. Trump said he didn’t know Weiss, yet informed O’Donnell: “I hear she’s a great person. “In my view you've acquired a great new leader, honestly, who’s the young woman now heading your entire organization, is superb – based on what I've heard,” he remarked. The president was especially enthusiastic in praising 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 involves this program and new ownership, the network and new ownership,” Trump said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and reliable media.” The correspondent offered no direct reply to the president’s comments about Weiss and the owners. Among Trump’s many answers which were cut were multiple statements doubting the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, which he said “was rigged and unlawfully taken”. At one point in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade the journalist to acknowledge that safety had improved in Washington DC, where she lives. “You reside in DC. You know that too,” Trump said, inquiring of the correspondent: “Have you noticed any change?” “I believe I’ve been working excessively,” she responded. “I haven’t been out and about often … I drive to the studio and return home.” Trump responded “that is an evasion” maintaining that O’Donnell had observed an improvement. Trump then implied that the exchange need not be included in the program. “It is unnecessary to include that part,” he noted. “Don’t worry, it's fine, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”
This broadcast network program 60 Minutes significantly edited an interview with the former president that aired on Sunday evening, marking the initial one-on-one with the program since 2019. The former president spoke alongside journalist Norah O’Donnell for 90 minutes, but only about 28 minutes aired on television. A complete transcript of the interview subsequently released, alongside an extended online version of the conversation. The edits stand out because, exactly one year before Trump's interview with O’Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he had sued the network regarding the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged was deceptively edited to benefit her chances during the race. While many attorneys largely rejected the legal action calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster settled with the president for $16m this past summer. As part of the agreement, the network committed that it would release full records from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates. During the opening of the broadcast, O’Donnell reminded viewers that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, adding that the resolution lacked an apology or admission of wrongdoing”. During the interview, in a clip omitted from broadcast, Trump teased CBS over the settlement and repeated his claims toward the broadcaster. “In fact the program gave me a lotta money. You need not include this, since I do not wish to embarrass you, and I trust you’re not,” the president stated. “However 60 Minutes was forced to compensate me a large amount since they removed Harris’s response out which was damaging, it was election-changing, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. They compensated me a lot of money for that. We cannot tolerate false reporting. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. I believe this is occurring.” During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president commended the sale of CBS to new owners and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”. Trump said he didn’t know Weiss, yet informed O’Donnell: “I hear she’s a great person. “In my view you've acquired a great new leader, honestly, who’s the young woman now heading your entire organization, is superb – based on what I've heard,” he remarked. The president was especially enthusiastic in praising 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 involves this program and new ownership, the network and new ownership,” Trump said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and reliable media.” The correspondent offered no direct reply to the president’s comments about Weiss and the owners. Among Trump’s many answers which were cut were multiple statements doubting the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, which he said “was rigged and unlawfully taken”. At one point in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade the journalist to acknowledge that safety had improved in Washington DC, where she lives. “You reside in DC. You know that too,” Trump said, inquiring of the correspondent: “Have you noticed any change?” “I believe I’ve been working excessively,” she responded. “I haven’t been out and about often … I drive to the studio and return home.” Trump responded “that is an evasion” maintaining that O’Donnell had observed an improvement. Trump then implied that the exchange need not be included in the program. “It is unnecessary to include that part,” he noted. “Don’t worry, it's fine, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”