CBS News has come under fire once again after heavily editing down an interview with Donald Trump, the latest in a string of controversies surrounding the network's handling of presidential candidates. Trump sat down with Norah O'Donnell for 90 minutes, but only about 28 minutes made the airwaves. A full transcript and extended version were later released, shedding light on the extent of the edits.
The interview sparked memories of Trump's previous lawsuit against CBS over an edited segment featuring Kamala Harris, which he claimed was deceptive and designed to boost her chances in the presidential election. The network eventually settled with Trump for $16 million, agreeing to release transcripts of future interviews with presidential candidates. However, the settlement did not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
During Sunday's 60 Minutes program, O'Donnell reminded viewers that Trump had indeed paid CBS a substantial amount of money, but that this fact was omitted from the broadcast. In uncut footage, Trump boasted about receiving payment for his appearance on the show, stating that it "was forced to pay me a lot" due to allegedly manipulating the content of Harris's segment.
Trump also used the opportunity to praise new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whom he described as a "great person," despite being unfamiliar with her. His effusive praise for new owner David Ellison and his family, who are now in control of Paramount through Skydance Media, saw him calling their acquisition of CBS News "the greatest thing that's happened" to the press.
Among the answers edited out of the broadcast were several claims questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. Trump also tried to get O'Donnell to acknowledge crime reduction in Washington DC, where she resides, only to be met with skepticism from the correspondent.
The heavy editing has raised questions about CBS News's commitment to accuracy and fairness. Critics argue that such tactics undermine public trust in journalism and blur the lines between opinion and fact.
The interview sparked memories of Trump's previous lawsuit against CBS over an edited segment featuring Kamala Harris, which he claimed was deceptive and designed to boost her chances in the presidential election. The network eventually settled with Trump for $16 million, agreeing to release transcripts of future interviews with presidential candidates. However, the settlement did not include an apology or admission of wrongdoing.
During Sunday's 60 Minutes program, O'Donnell reminded viewers that Trump had indeed paid CBS a substantial amount of money, but that this fact was omitted from the broadcast. In uncut footage, Trump boasted about receiving payment for his appearance on the show, stating that it "was forced to pay me a lot" due to allegedly manipulating the content of Harris's segment.
Trump also used the opportunity to praise new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whom he described as a "great person," despite being unfamiliar with her. His effusive praise for new owner David Ellison and his family, who are now in control of Paramount through Skydance Media, saw him calling their acquisition of CBS News "the greatest thing that's happened" to the press.
Among the answers edited out of the broadcast were several claims questioning the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. Trump also tried to get O'Donnell to acknowledge crime reduction in Washington DC, where she resides, only to be met with skepticism from the correspondent.
The heavy editing has raised questions about CBS News's commitment to accuracy and fairness. Critics argue that such tactics undermine public trust in journalism and blur the lines between opinion and fact.
. and yeah, the fact that he got paid but didn't even mention it during the convo is low-key shady 
. what really gets me is that they settled with him for $16 million without apologizing 
. i mean, can't we just expect truthfulness from news outlets? it's like, come on CBS News, do better next time 
.
I'm so tired of these networks playing editor's games. Like, what's the deal with all these "settlements" they pay out? $16 million for a settlement doesn't mean squat when you're still editing down interviews willy-nilly! 
And don't even get me started on Trump - if he was gonna say something shady, why did they cut it off in the first place? Sounds like they're trying to shape the narrative rather than report the facts. Can we trust CBS News to do their job without the agenda? 
. I mean, come on, 28 minutes out of a 90-minute interview? That's not even close to fair representation. And now they're releasing transcripts and expecting us to believe that was just an accident? Please 
. Like, hello, you're trying to manipulate the narrative here! And don't even get me started on how they left out the part about Trump paying them for his appearance on the show 
this is getting out of hand! I mean, I get it, Trump can be a wild card, but come on, CBS News is supposed to be a reputable news source, not some tabloid 
. First, it's Harris' segment, now it's Trump himself, and what's the common thread? Editing for ratings? 
It's like they're trying to create drama where none exists.
Shouldn't journalists be trying to get at the truth, not push an agenda? The public deserves better than this kind of manipulation. 
. Like, can't we just get the real tea 
from our journalists? I mean, I know CBS News is trying to make a buck off Trump's ratings 
, but at what cost? The integrity of journalism is like, super important 
.
, during the 2020 presidential election, there were over 50 lawsuits filed against news outlets for allegedly misrepresenting or misquoting candidates. Meanwhile, Trump's own tweet about Kamala Harris has been debunked like 10 times 
. A 2022 Pew Research Center survey found that only 27% of Americans trust the media "almost always" or "most of the time". Compare that to 64% who say they're not sure what's true and what's not 
.
. It's like, super flatlining 
. We need journalists who are willing to do the hard work of fact-checking and holding politicians accountable 
.
. The fact that they settled with him for $16 million and didn't even get an apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing is just wild. It's like they're above the law or something. And what's up with Norah O'Donnell trying to deflect by mentioning Trump paid CBS? Like, yeah, we get it, he paid, but that doesn't excuse the editing 
. They need to step up their game and prioritize accuracy and fairness over ratings 
.
! I mean, they already had a settlement with Trump over Harris's interview, but now it looks like they're still not being transparent about their editing process