CBS News Significantly Trims Trump's TV Program Interview, Removing Boast Regarding Network Compensating Him Large Funds

This CBS News show the long-running news magazine heavily edited a conversation with the former president broadcast Sunday night, marking the initial one-on-one on the show since 2019.

Trump sat down alongside journalist the CBS anchor over an hour and a half, but only about 28 minutes were broadcast. The full text version of the interview was later released, alongside an extended online version of the conversation.

These cuts are notable since, precisely 12 months prior to Trump's appearance on the program at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he had sued CBS regarding the editing from another news program interview with then-Vice President the vice president, claiming it had been deceptively edited to help her campaign in the presidential election.

While many attorneys widely dismissed the legal action as “meritless” and improbable to hold up under the first amendment, CBS reached an agreement with the president for $16m in July. Under the agreement, CBS committed to publish transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates.

During the opening of Sunday’s show, the correspondent informed the audience that the parent company settled the legal dispute, adding that the resolution lacked an apology or admission of wrongdoing”.

In the conversation, in one segment omitted from broadcast, the president teased the network about the agreement restating his claims toward the broadcaster.

“In fact the program gave me a substantial sum. You need not include this, because I don’t wanna embarrass you, and I trust you’re not,” the president stated. “However the show had to compensate me a lot of money since they took her answer from the segment that was so bad, it was election-changing, two nights before the election. They inserted a different response in. They compensated me handsomely for that. We cannot tolerate false reporting. We must have legit news. And I think this is occurring.”

During another un-aired portion of the interview, the president praised the sale of CBS to new owners and said the broadcaster's new editor-in-chief, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”.

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

“I think you have a great new leader, honestly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he remarked.

Trump was especially enthusiastic in praising David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of the network's parent firm, Paramount, through their company Skydance Media.

“In my opinion a very positive development recently involves this program and new ownership, CBS and new ownership,” the president said. “I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened for years to a free and open and good press.”

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

Among the president's responses that were edited out were multiple statements questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and stolen”.

During one exchange in the interview, in a part omitted from the broadcast, the president tried to get O’Donnell to admit that safety had improved in Washington DC, her place of residence.

“You live here. You are aware of this,” Trump remarked, asking the correspondent: “Have you noticed a difference?”

“I think I have been occupied excessively,” she responded. “I haven’t been outside that much … I get in my car and go to work and return home.”

The president responded “that is an evasion” maintaining that the journalist noticed an improvement.

Trump then seemed to suggest that the exchange need not be included on the show.

“You don’t have to use that one,” he noted. “No concerns, don’t worry, I don’t want to embarrass her.”