Bipartisan Backlash for 60 Minutes Following Trump Interview
CBS's flagship news programme 60 Minutes has found itself in the unusual position of facing fierce criticism from both sides of the political spectrum following its recent interview with former President Donald Trump. The programme revealed it received "hundreds of notes" from enraged viewers, demonstrating that political division in the United States did not prevent a unified front of displeasure aimed at the broadcast.
CBS News correspondent Cecilia Vega highlighted this rare moment of agreement, stating, "The country may be politically divided, but the criticism from viewers was bipartisan." She shared a selection of these viewer complaints during Sunday night's broadcast, showcasing the diametrically opposed reasons for the outrage.
Viewer Outrage from Left and Right
The complaints read aloud by Vega exposed a deep national schism in how the interview was perceived. Conservative viewers accused the programme of being disrespectful to Trump and treating him unfairly. Conversely, liberal viewers contended that the interview aimed to show the president "in the best possible light" by asking him overly soft questions.
One viewer's comment captured the sentiment of those who objected to the very premise of the interview, writing pointedly, "Donald Trump gets lots and lots of time on TV as president. He has power, and so do I. When I saw that he was being interviewed on last Sunday’s show, I used my power and turned it off immediately."
The interview, conducted by correspondent Norah O'Donnell, took place under the shadow of a recently settled lawsuit. Exactly one year after Trump filed what was described as a "meritless" lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, which was settled by CBS's parent company Paramount, the former president sat down for a lengthy one-on-one.
Controversy Over Edited Content and Legal Settlement
Although O'Donnell and Trump spoke for approximately 90 minutes, only 28 minutes were broadcast on the television programme. An edited 73-minute version was later released on the network's YouTube channel, and a full, unedited transcript was published online.
This transparency was part of the agreement CBS reached with Trump in the settlement, which stipulated that the network must publish unedited transcripts of any interviews with presidents and presidential candidates. Ironically, this very clause led to further viewer fury, as people reacted strongly to portions of the conversation that were not aired.
One unaired segment featured Trump praising new CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and Paramount chief executive David Ellison, while also boasting that CBS News was forced to pay him "a lotta money" to settle his lawsuit. While this part was cut, O'Donnell did reference the settlement at the start of the broadcast, clarifying that the network did not offer an apology as part of the deal.
Another contentious moment absent from both the televised and extended online edits was a combative exchange regarding Trump's pardon of crypto entrepreneur Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao. The full transcript revealed the president became aggravated and even suggested he could walk out of the interview.
Despite the controversy, or perhaps because of it, Trump's appearance provided a massive ratings boost for the already top-rated programme. The broadcast drew 14 million viewers, achieving its highest viewership since January 2021.
