CBS appears to have taken Donald Trump’s advice on axing a section of his 60 Minutes interview in which he bragged about a multi-million dollar payout from network parent company Paramount.
“And actually 60 Minutes paid me a lotta money,” the president said, according to a full transcript of the sit-down released by CBS. “And you don’t have to put this on, because I don’t want to embarrass you.”
That portion of the exchange did not subsequently feature in either the 28-minute TV edit of the interview aired by the network, or the 73-minute extended cut released online. Nor did the president’s rant about ongoing public backlash to his highly controversial decision to pardon Changpeng Zhao, a crypto billionaire previously convicted of money laundering violations.
Trump’s omitted quip followed almost a year to the day since the president filed a suit against the network for allegedly doctoring an interview with Kamala Harris. He claimed last October that CBS had deceptively edited its sit-down with the then-presidential candidate with the goal of giving her an edge in the polls, and sought $20 billion in damages for “mental anguish.”
Without admitting any wrongdoing, CBS eventually agreed to pay Trump a more modest $16 million to settle his claims. The agreement prompted a massive outcry, coming at the same time as Paramount sought the Trump administration’s approval on a lucrative merger with fellow media giant Skydance.
Network late night TV host Stephen Colbert, for one, described the settlement as “a big fat bribe.” His show was cancelled three days later, over what CBS said were “the challenging economics of late-night television,” with his effective firing “not connected to any political or editorial matters, or to any of the company’s recent legal settlements.”
The merger, backed by Trump ally and tech tycoon Larry Ellison, was subsequently approved, with Ellison’s son David now chairman and CEO of the new media conglomerate.
CBS has undergone seismic restructuring in the weeks and months since. The company has now created a new ombudsman role, filled by longtime conservative policy wonk Kenneth Weinstein, to evaluate allegations of bias and other complaints leveled against the outlet, as per the conditions under which the Federal Communications Commission approved the merger.
Amid multiple rounds of layoffs, the network has also appointed Bari Weiss, a right-leaning pundit who’s been openly critical of “woke culture” in the past, as its new head. Scott Jennings, a pro-MAGA talking head at CNN, and right wing Fox News host Bret Baier are reportedly now also flirting with a move to CBS.
The omissions from Trump’s Friday sit-down have not gone unnoticed. “Maybe I should file a complaint with the FCC against the Trump White House for editing his unhinged 60 Minutes interview,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on X Monday. “It will use the exact same language Trump lodged against Vice President Harris.”
Other users on the platform were quick to express similar dismay. “Last night’s 60 minutes interview was an edited disaster. Trump praised CBS for its new direction & laughed at the network paying him $16M for editing Kamala’s interview,” one person wrote. “They did the same for him last night. The CBS of old is gone. It’s now a megaphone for power, not truth.”
Ron Filipowski, editor-and-chief of MeidasTouch, further bemoaned what he sees as a lack of dependable avenues to now hold the network to account. “
No, CBS will not settle any lawsuits against them that people may bring for editing out over half of Trump’s interview since none of you are in a position of power to approve their merger with any other media companies,” he wrote.
The Daily Beast has reached out to CBS for comment on this story.
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