CBS News Heavily Edits Donald Trump's TV Program Sit-Down, Omitting Boast About Broadcaster Compensating The President Substantial Funds
This CBS News show the long-running news magazine significantly trimmed a conversation featuring the former president broadcast on Sunday evening, marking the initial sit-down on the show in five years.
Trump sat down alongside journalist the CBS anchor for 90 minutes, yet merely about 28 minutes were broadcast. A complete text version from the discussion was later published, alongside an extended online version of the conversation.
The edits are notable since, precisely 12 months before Trump's interview on the program at his Mar-a-Lago resort, he filed suit against the network over post-production changes from another news program interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which he alleged was deceptively edited to help her campaign during the race.
Although numerous attorneys largely rejected the lawsuit as “meritless” and unlikely to hold up on free speech grounds, the broadcaster reached an agreement with the president for millions this past summer. As part of the agreement, the network 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, but noted that “the settlement did not include any admission or expression of regret”.
During the interview, in a clip that did not air, the president teased CBS over the settlement restating his allegations toward the broadcaster.
“In fact the program paid me a lotta money. You need not include this, because I don’t wanna embarrass you, and I trust that you are not,” the president said. “But the show had to pay me a lot of money because they removed her answer out which was damaging, it was election-changing, 48 hours before the election. And they put a different response in. They compensated me a lot of money because of it. You can’t have fake news. You’ve gotta have truthful journalism. And I think this is occurring.”
In a separate segment not broadcast from the discussion, Trump commended the sale of the network to new owners noting the network’s recently appointed head, the journalist, is a “excellent addition”.
Trump admitted he was not acquainted with the editor, yet informed the interviewer: “People say she is impressive.
“In my view you have a talented director, frankly, that individual that’s leading your entire organization, is a great – based on what I've heard,” he said.
The president was particularly effusive in praising David Ellison and his parent, Larry Ellison, the recent purchaser of CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, via their firm Skydance Media.
“I think a very positive development recently is this show and new ownership, CBS and new ownership,” Trump said. “I believe it’s the greatest thing that’s happened for years toward a transparent and reliable media.”
The correspondent did not directly respond to the president’s comments concerning the editor and the Ellisons.
Among the president's responses which were cut were several comments questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, which he described “was rigged and unlawfully taken”.
During one exchange in the conversation, in a part omitted from the broadcast, Trump attempted to persuade O’Donnell to acknowledge that crime was down in Washington DC, her place of residence.
“You reside in DC. You are aware of this,” Trump remarked, asking the correspondent: “Do you see any change?”
“I believe I’ve been working excessively,” she replied. “I haven’t been outside that much … I drive and go to work and return home.”
The president said “that’s not a fair answer” maintaining that the journalist noticed a difference.
Trump then implied that the exchange didn’t need be included on the show.
“You don’t have to include that part,” he noted. “No concerns, it's fine, I don’t want to cause her embarrassment.”