CBS News Significantly Trims Donald Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Removing Claim About Network Compensating The President Large Funds

The broadcast network program the long-running news magazine heavily trimmed a conversation featuring Donald Trump that aired on Sunday evening, marking his first one-on-one with the program in five years.

Trump spoke alongside journalist the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, yet merely about 28 minutes were broadcast. The full transcript of the interview was later published, together with an extended online version of the conversation.

These cuts are notable since, precisely 12 months before Trump's interview 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 deceptively edited to benefit her chances during the race.

While many legal experts largely rejected the lawsuit as “meritless” and unlikely to succeed under the first amendment, the broadcaster reached an agreement with the president for $16m in July. As part of the agreement, the network had agreed that it would release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates.

During the opening of the broadcast, O’Donnell reminded viewers that Paramount settled Trump’s lawsuit, adding that the resolution did not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing”.

During the interview, in one segment omitted from broadcast, Trump teased the network over the settlement and repeated his claims against the network.

“Actually 60 Minutes gave me a lotta money. You need not include this, because I don’t wanna cause you discomfort, and I trust that you are not,” Trump said. “However 60 Minutes had to pay me a lot of money since they removed her answer from the segment that was so bad, it proved election-changing, 48 hours prior to voting. And they put a different response in. They compensated me handsomely because of it. We cannot tolerate fake news. We must have legit news. I believe this is occurring.”

In a separate segment not broadcast from the discussion, the president commended the acquisition of CBS to new owners and said the network’s recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, is a “excellent addition”.

The US president admitted he was not acquainted with Weiss, but told O’Donnell: “People say she’s a great person.

“I think you've acquired a talented director, frankly, who’s the young woman now heading your entire organization, is superb – from what I know,” he remarked.

The president was particularly enthusiastic in praising David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, through their company Skydance.

“I think a very positive development to happen involves this program and new ownership, CBS and new ownership,” the president said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that has occurred in a long time toward a transparent and reliable media.”

The correspondent offered no direct reply to the president’s comments concerning the editor and the Ellisons.

Among the president's responses which were cut were multiple statements doubting the legitimacy of the last election, which he said “had been manipulated and stolen”.

At one point in the conversation, in a part omitted from the broadcast, the president 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 remarked, inquiring of O’Donnell: “Do you see any change?”

“I think I have been occupied too hard,” she replied. “I haven’t been out and about that much … I get in my car and go to work and I go home.”

Trump responded “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that the journalist had observed an improvement.

The president then implied that the exchange didn’t need to be aired in the program.

“It is unnecessary to use that one,” he said. “Don’t worry, it's fine, I don’t want to embarrass her.”