Trump’s First CBS Interview After Lawsuit Settlement
On Sunday, President Trump is set to give his first interview with CBS since he initiated a lawsuit and subsequently settled with the network’s parent company regarding a “60 Minutes” segment that featured CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
This interview, filmed on Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, will air on “60 Minutes.” It comes just weeks after Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief at CBS.
Earlier this month, Trump mentioned he was discussing a potential appearance on the show, marking his return to the network after some time.
According to CBS, O’Donnell’s chat with Trump addressed various topics, including his recent discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping, U.S. relations with Venezuela and Israel, the ongoing government shutdown, and new immigration policies.
A preview of the interview was shared on Friday, depicting O’Donnell and Trump in conversation at his estate.
This interview follows a $16 million settlement between Trump and Paramount, which arose from claims that the editing of Harris’ interviews was biased during the 2024 campaign. While no apology was issued as part of the settlement, it did help to resolve tension between Trump and CBS News.
Earlier this year, CBS took significant steps by releasing full transcripts of future presidential interviews and pledging to air unedited versions of important political conversations.
For Trump, this interview represents a chance to reconnect with a major broadcasting entity he has often labeled the “fake news media.” It appears that relations with CBS may be improving under the network’s new management.
In a recent talk aboard Air Force One, Trump commended Paramount CEO David Ellison and his father, Oracle’s co-founder Larry Ellison, describing them as understanding fairness.
This interview is happening during a period of significant transformation for CBS’s news division. The decision to include Trump on “60 Minutes” may indicate a shift in the network’s approach under Weiss, who began her role after the acquisition of Paramount.
Weiss, who previously worked as the opinion editor for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, aims to steer CBS towards a more independent editorial direction. her leadership has already sparked a mix of admiration and debate due to related restructuring.
CBS has also implemented changes in editorial policy in light of the settlement with Trump. This comes at a time when the network is experiencing upheaval, having laid off about 100 employees, including several notable reporters and anchors as part of a broader cost reduction strategy.
The layoffs, which impacted a wide range of staff including production and digital teams, occurred alongside the cancellation of two streaming programs, a reworking of “CBS Saturday Morning,” and the dissolution of the race and culture division.
Among those let go were several prominent women, which has led to internal discontent and accusations of discrimination, with some former staff claiming that people of color were unfairly affected by these changes.
These shifts are part of a much larger restructuring that followed an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, which aims to streamline operations by reducing costs by about $2 billion and cutting the workforce globally by around 10%.
