The Network Heavily Edits Donald Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Removing Claim About Network Paying Him Large Funds

This broadcast network show 60 Minutes heavily trimmed a conversation with the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, marking the initial one-on-one with the program in five years.

Trump spoke alongside journalist Norah O’Donnell over an hour and a half, but only approximately 28 minutes aired on television. The full text version from the discussion subsequently released, together with an extended online version of the conversation.

These cuts are notable since, precisely 12 months prior to the president's appearance on the program at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against CBS regarding post-production changes from another news program segment with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged had been deceptively edited to help her chances in the presidential election.

Although numerous legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit calling it baseless and unlikely to succeed under the first amendment, the broadcaster settled with Trump for millions this past summer. Under the settlement, CBS committed that it would release transcripts of future interviews with candidates.

During the opening of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell reminded viewers that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, adding that “the settlement lacked an apology or expression of regret”.

In the conversation, in one segment that did not air, the president needled the network over the settlement restating his allegations toward the broadcaster.

“Actually the program gave me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to put this on, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I’m sure that you are not,” Trump stated. “But the show had to compensate me a lot of money because they removed Harris’s response from the segment that was so bad, it proved decisive, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a different response in. And they paid me a lot of money because of it. You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have legit news. And I think this is occurring.”

In a separate un-aired portion of the interview, the president commended the sale of CBS to the Ellison family and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “great new leader”.

Trump said he didn’t know Weiss, yet informed O’Donnell: “People say she is impressive.

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

Trump was especially effusive in complimenting David Ellison and his parent, Larry, the new owner of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, via their firm Skydance Media.

“I think one of the best things to happen involves this program and new ownership, CBS under new management,” Trump commented. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time toward a transparent and reliable media.”

O’Donnell did not directly respond to the president’s comments concerning the editor and the Ellisons.

Among the president's responses which were cut were multiple statements questioning the integrity of the last election, which he described “was rigged and stolen”.

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

“You reside in DC. You are aware of this,” the president remarked, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Do you see a difference?”

“I think I’ve been working too hard,” she replied. “I have not gotten out and about often … I drive to the studio and I go home.”

The president responded “that is an evasion” and insisted that O’Donnell had observed a difference.

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

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he noted. “No concerns, it's fine, I do not wish to cause her embarrassment.”