Donald Trump spared no opportunity to gloat in an unaired portion of his “60 Minutes” interview Sunday, crowing about a multi-million-dollar payout from CBS and doubling down on his long-debunked claim that he won the 2020 election. The segment, which didn’t air but is available on YouTube at 1:07:30, also showed the president laying out his vision for the next three years in office—and hinting he may run again in 2028. (Watch the video below)
Trump told correspondent Norah O’Donnell that Democratic rival Kamala Harris “failed because she couldn’t speak” and was not “very intelligent.” He cited her CBS interview as an example of her shortcomings. “And actually ‘60 Minutes’ paid me a lot of money, and you don’t have to put this on because I don’t want to embarrass you,” he said.
The president then praised CBS News’ new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, before returning to his gloating. “But ‘60 Minutes’ was forced to pay me a lot of money because they took [Harris’] answer out that was so bad,” he said. “It was election-changing two nights before the election and they put a new answer in and they paid me a lot of money for that. You can’t have fake news. You’ve got to have legit news.”
CBS has called Trump’s claim that Harris’ interview was deceptively edited “false.” Still, its parent company, Paramount, settled with Trump for $16 million, a move widely seen as smoothing the way for Trump’s Federal Communications Commission to approve a merger between Paramount and Skydance Media. The settlement “did not include an apology or an admission of wrongdoing,” O’Donnell noted.
Trump framed Weiss’ hiring as a personal victory, saying, “I see good things happening in the news, I really do. And I think one of the best things that’s happened is this show and new ownership, CBS and new ownership. I think it’s the greatest thing that’s happened in a long time to a free and open and good press.”
On the 2020 election, Trump doubled down: “The 20 election was rigged. A lot of people say when it’s rigged, you’re allowed to do it again. It was rigged, and it’s been fought and they and you see the same information that everybody else does, and it’s coming out now in spades.”
When asked what he hopes to accomplish in the next three years, Trump said, “Hope I could have the same year that we had…Want to just keep it going pretty much the same way. I want safety in our cities. Our cities are a mess, and I hate to say it, they’re Democrat run cities. If you take the top 25 cities, they’re almost all, almost every one of them is run by Democrats.”
He touted crime reductions and urban renewal efforts in cities like Chicago, Washington D.C., and Memphis. “Memphis was a dangerous hell hole, 65% down in crime. This is after two weeks,” he said, describing what he called a new personal passion for reviving American cities.
On economic issues, Trump cast himself as the antidote to Americans’ financial struggles. O’Donnell asked, “What do you have to say to those that are suffering the cost of living increases and saying they’re living paycheck to paycheck?”
Trump replied: “Well, I’d be very upset with Biden, because we don’t have any of those problems. We don’t have inflation. You know, essentially we don’t have inflation. We inherited the worst inflation in history of our country…We can fix health care, give them better health care and less money. Obamacare is is hurting people. Obamacare was a disaster from day one.”
He then pivoted to energy and gas prices, insisting his policies would lower costs nationwide. “Energy is way down. You know, you’re gonna have $2 gasoline very soon. Nobody could believe it. You were 456, and even $7 look at the cost of gasoline in California. What it was I brought that problem is when I bring it down here in California, they put more tax, they tax the gasoline to such an extent, we’re in great shape. This country is a great shape. We’re ready to really rock.”
Trump also hinted at a possible 2028 run: “I don’t even think about it. I will tell you a lot of people want me to run. The difference between us and the Democrats is we really do have a strong bench…We have an unbelievable bench. Could run two people together. We have a great bench. So I don’t want to start talking about elections. It’s too early.”
Trump’s unaired comments reveal a president who sees himself vindicated, emboldened, and eager to shape both politics and media on his terms. Between boasting about CBS, insisting he won the 2020 election, hinting at a 2028 run, and promising three more years of the same chaos, the segment offers a window into the combative and relentless political persona that defines his presidency.
Watch the full unaired segment below. Trump’s extended exchange with O’Donnell starts at 1:07:30.
