CBS News Heavily Edits Donald Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Removing Claim About Network Paying The President Large Funds
This CBS News show 60 Minutes heavily edited a conversation featuring the former president broadcast Sunday night, representing his first one-on-one with the program in five years.
Trump spoke with correspondent the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, yet merely approximately 28 minutes aired on television. The full transcript of the interview was later published, alongside an extended online version from the interview.
The edits are notable since, precisely 12 months before the president's interview with O’Donnell in Florida, he filed suit against CBS regarding the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, claiming it had been deceptively edited to help her campaign during the race.
While numerous attorneys largely rejected the legal action calling it baseless and improbable to hold up on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with Trump for $16m this past summer. Under the agreement, the network committed to publish transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates.
At the beginning of the broadcast, the correspondent informed the audience that the parent company resolved the legal dispute, but noted that the resolution lacked any admission or admission of wrongdoing”.
During the interview, in one segment omitted from broadcast, the president teased the network about the agreement restating his claims toward the broadcaster.
“In fact the program paid me a substantial sum. You need not put this on, because I don’t wanna embarrass you, and I’m sure you’re not,” Trump stated. “However the show was forced to pay me a lot of money because they took her answer from the segment that was so bad, it proved decisive, two nights prior to voting. They inserted a new answer into the broadcast. They compensated me a lot of money for that. You can’t have false reporting. You’ve gotta have legit news. I believe this is occurring.”
During another un-aired portion from the discussion, Trump commended the acquisition of CBS to new owners and said the broadcaster's recently appointed head, Bari Weiss, is a “great new leader”.
The US president admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, but told O’Donnell: “I hear she is impressive.
“I think you've acquired a great new leader, frankly, who’s the young woman now heading your entire organization, is a great – from what I know,” he remarked.
The president was especially enthusiastic in complimenting the executive and his parent, Larry Ellison, the new owner of the network's parent firm, Paramount, through their company Skydance Media.
“I think a very positive development to happen is this show and new ownership, CBS under new management,” Trump commented. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that’s happened for years to a free and open and reliable media.”
The correspondent offered no direct reply regarding these remarks concerning the editor and the owners.
Included in the president's responses that were edited out were several comments doubting the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he said “was rigged and stolen”.
During one exchange in the interview, in a part that was not aired, the president tried to get O’Donnell to admit that crime was down in Washington DC, where she lives.
“You reside in DC. You know that too,” Trump remarked, inquiring of the correspondent: “Do you see a difference?”
“I believe I’ve been working too hard,” O’Donnell responded. “I haven’t been out and about often … I drive and go to work and I go home.”
Trump responded “that’s not a fair answer” and insisted that O’Donnell noticed an improvement.
The president then seemed to suggest that the exchange need not be included in the program.
“You don’t have to use that one,” he noted. “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”
