60 Minutes Edited Out Trump’s Response to Questions About Crypto Corruption

Final month, President Donald Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, a transfer that raised loads of eyebrows given Binance’s promotion of the Trump household’s crypto ventures. Trump was requested about Zhao’s pardon on Sunday throughout an look on CBS Information’s 60 Minutes, the place the president gave a bewildering reply. However viewers didn’t even get to see the strangest half, which was edited out.

There are primarily three variations of the 60 Minutes interview that the general public can entry. There’s the 28-minute model that aired on TV (and is out there on YouTube), there’s the 1-hour and 13-minute video model that was posted to YouTube by 60 Minutes, and there’s the transcript of the interview printed on-line by CBS Information.

Naturally, we count on the 2 video variations to be completely different. That’s simply enhancing and a standard a part of presenting the information. However the parts that get reduce can generally matter within the broader scheme of issues. And a portion of the interview—the place Trump is requested about cryptocurrency and the ways in which Trump’s household has profited from it—doesn’t present up within the “prolonged model” launched by 60 Minutes. We solely know that as a result of it’s within the transcript, because the Daily Beast was the primary to level out.

The background

First, slightly background on the rationale Trump was requested about Changpeng Zhao within the first place.

Trump’s sons, Don Jr. and Eric, created an organization with Steve Witkoff referred to as World Liberty Monetary in September 2024, simply a few months earlier than the presidential election. The corporate’s crypto coin, $WLFI, didn’t actually take off till Trump beat his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris in November 2024. By March 2025, World Liberty launched a stablecoin referred to as USD1. MGX, a state-backed firm from the United Arab Emirates, used that stablecoin to speculate $2 billion in Binance, in keeping with the New York Times.

Binance referred to as it the one largest funding in a cryptocurrency firm ever, and it clearly raised questions in regards to the ethics of a sitting president’s household cashing in on international entanglements with the UAE, in addition to a personal crypto agency the place the founder went to jail.

Zhao pleaded responsible to cash laundering violations in 2023 and served 4 months. Zhao owed $50 million in restitution, and his pardon possible means he gained’t need to pay that again, since that’s what has occurred with lots of Trump’s other pardons.

Which brings us to Sunday evening, when 60 Minutes journalist Norah O’Donnell requested Trump in regards to the pardon of Zhao.

What TV viewers noticed

TV viewers of 60 Minutes noticed Trump questioned about quite a lot of matters like deportations, inflation, and the prosecution of his political enemies, like former FBI director James Comey. When Trump was requested about Changpeng Zhao (sometimes called CZ) and the pardon he issued, Trump insisted he didn’t even know who the man was.

Beneath is a transcript of what viewers noticed.

NORAH O’DONNELL: He pled responsible in 2023 to violating anti-money laundering legal guidelines.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Proper.

NORAH O’DONNELL: The federal government on the time mentioned that C.Z. had triggered “vital hurt to U.S. nationwide safety,” primarily by permitting terrorist teams like Hamas to maneuver thousands and thousands of {dollars} round. Why did you pardon him?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Okay, are you prepared? I don’t know who he’s. I do know he received a four-month sentence or one thing like that. And I heard it was a Biden witch hunt.

NORAH O’DONNELL: In 2025 his crypto change, Binance, helped facilitate a $2 billion buy of World Liberty Monetary’s stablecoin. And then you definitely pardoned C.Z. How do you tackle the looks of pay for play?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Properly, right here’s the factor, I do know nothing about it as a result of I’m too busy doing the opposite—

NORAH O’DONNELL: However he received a pardon—

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I can solely let you know that—

NORAH O’DONNELL: He received a pardon—

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Norah, I can solely let you know this. My sons are into it. I’m glad they’re, as a result of it’s in all probability an amazing business, crypto. I feel it’s good. You recognize, they’re operating a enterprise, they’re not in authorities.

The declare that Trump didn’t even know who CZ was is certainly fascinating, particularly for the reason that president has repeatedly claimed that his predecessor, President Joe Biden, didn’t even know what sort of laws he was signing throughout his cognitive decline within the Oval Workplace. However we clearly can’t take every little thing Trump says at face worth.

The present reduce out massive parts of the dialog the place Trump praises crypto and says it’s essential to be aggressive globally, none of which was notably newsworthy for viewers at residence. Trump additionally rambled on and on about Biden being the “most corrupt president” America has ever had. And viewers can see all of that within the on-line “prolonged” interview. However there was a second that wasn’t in both video that’s very notable.

The half that’s solely within the transcript

In keeping with the transcript, Trump was requested in regards to the look of corruption together with his pardon and monetary curiosity in crypto. And he replied that he didn’t need to reply that query, one thing that’s not accessible to see in both video that’s been printed by 60 Minutes.

The transcript:

NORAH O’DONNELL: So not involved in regards to the look of corruption with this?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I can’t say, as a result of— I can’t say— I’m not involved. I don’t— I’d somewhat not have you ever ask the query. However I allow you to ask it. You simply got here to me and also you mentioned, “Can I ask one other query?” And I mentioned, yeah. That is the query—

NORAH O’DONNELL: And also you answered—

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don’t thoughts. Did I allow you to do it? I coulda walked away. I didn’t need to reply this query. I’m proud to reply the query. You recognize why? We’ve taken crypto—

NORAH O’DONNELL: However simply typically converse—

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Excuse me. We’re primary in crypto in the entire world. Different individuals wanna be. They’re combating like hell to be. However we’re primary in crypto as a result of I’m the president. Biden wished to additionally, on the very finish, , he completely switched his factor.

You recognize, Biden was completely in favor of crypto on the finish. Have you learnt that many individuals that had been indicted beneath Biden for crypto, on the very finish earlier than the election, had been let go? You recognize why? He wished the vote. We’re primary in crypto and that’s the one factor I care about. I don’t need China or anyone else to take it away. It’s a large business.

NORAH O’DONNELL: Mr. President, thanks.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Thanks very a lot.

The transcript means that this portion was the precise finish of the interview because it occurred in real-time, although the crypto portion was pushed a lot earlier within the movies each on-line and that aired on TV. And it’s not clear why this was the one half that seems to have been within the transcript however doesn’t present up in both video.

Why it issues

We are able to, nonetheless, take a guess at why this little part was deleted from the movies. Trump has bragged about how he received CBS Information to pay $16 million in a settlement. Trump alleged that 60 Minutes edited a video to make her look higher, one thing that appears ridiculous if you really watch the movies facet by facet. However Trump insisted that such enhancing was a type of election interference, one thing most specialists mentioned wouldn’t have stood up in court docket.

CBS Information settled with Trump in a transfer that was extensively seen as capitulation to be able to enable its dad or mum firm, Paramount, to merge with Skydance, one thing that wanted regulatory approval. Stephen Colbert, the late-night host whose present is being cancelled beneath stress from Trump, referred to as the settlement a “large fats bribe.” The merger occurred and not using a downside, and extra just lately, the right-wing founding father of The Free Press, Bari Weiss, was employed to supervise all of CBS Information.

Because the Every day Beast notes, the transcript reveals that CBS additionally didn’t air the half the place Trump bragged that the community had paid him “some huge cash.” That half was within the prolonged video, nonetheless.

The way forward for Trump’s conflict on media

Trump appears to be chalking up wins within the mainstream media left and proper, although he’s been generally stifled. Trump’s head of the FCC, Brendan Carr, led a failed marketing campaign to have ABC host Jimmy Kimmel ousted. However Trump hasn’t given up on purging the airwaves of dissenting voices.

Over the weekend, Trump posted about late-night host Seth Meyers as a result of he made enjoyable of Trump, insisting that being 100% anti-Trump was “in all probability unlawful.” It’s not unlawful, clearly.

Trump’s buddies in Congress appear largely wonderful with every little thing Trump does, even when it means pardoning guys like Zhao and stifling speech.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson, who has beforehand been essential of President Biden’s use of an autopen, was requested Monday about Trump’s declare that he didn’t know who CZ was. Johnson, in typical trend, mentioned he didn’t see the interview, so the reporter ought to ask Trump.