The Network Heavily Edits Donald Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Omitting Boast About Network Paying The President Substantial Money
The CBS News show 60 Minutes heavily trimmed a conversation with the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, representing his first sit-down with the program in five years.
The former president spoke alongside journalist the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, yet merely approximately 28 minutes aired on television. The full transcript from the discussion subsequently released, alongside a 73-minute digital cut from the interview.
The edits are notable because, exactly one year prior to Trump's interview with O’Donnell in Florida, he had sued the network regarding the editing from another news program segment with then-Vice President the vice president, claiming it had been deceptively edited to benefit her campaign in the presidential election.
While numerous legal experts widely dismissed the lawsuit as “meritless” and improbable to succeed on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with the president for $16m in July. As part of the settlement, the network committed that it would publish full records from upcoming discussions of presidential candidates.
During the opening of Sunday’s show, O’Donnell reminded viewers that the parent company resolved Trump’s lawsuit, adding that the resolution lacked any admission or expression of regret”.
In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, the president teased the network over the settlement and repeated his claims toward the broadcaster.
“In fact the program paid me a substantial sum. And you don’t have to include this, since I do not wish to cause you discomfort, and I trust you’re not,” the president stated. “However the show had to compensate me a lot of money because they removed her answer from the segment that was so bad, it was decisive, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. They compensated me handsomely for that. You can’t have false reporting. We must have truthful journalism. And I think this is occurring.”
During another segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president commended the sale of the network to the Ellison family noting the network’s new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”.
Trump admitted he was not acquainted with Weiss, but told O’Donnell: “People say she’s a great person.
“In my view you have a talented director, honestly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is superb – from what I know,” he remarked.
Trump was particularly effusive in complimenting David Ellison and his parent, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, through their company Skydance Media.
“In my opinion a very positive development recently involves this program and the change in ownership, the network and new ownership,” Trump said. “I think it is a major improvement that has occurred for years to a free and open and good press.”
O’Donnell offered no direct reply to the president’s comments about Weiss and the Ellisons.
Included in Trump’s many answers that were edited out were multiple statements questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and stolen”.
At one point in the conversation, in a segment omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade the journalist to admit that safety had improved in Washington DC, her place of residence.
“You live here. You are aware of this,” the president said, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Have you noticed any change?”
“I believe I have been occupied excessively,” she replied. “I haven’t been outside that much … I drive to the studio and return home.”
Trump said “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that O’Donnell noticed an improvement.
Trump then implied that the exchange didn’t need be included on the show.
“You don’t have to use that one,” he said. “No concerns, it's fine, I don’t want to embarrass her.”
