President Donald Trump gave a confusing response to questions about his pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao during an appearance on CBS News's 60 Minutes last month. When asked by journalist Norah O'Donnell why he pardoned Zhao, despite the cryptocurrency exchange having close ties to the Trump family and their business ventures, Trump claimed he didn't know who Zhao was.
The question about Zhao was not included in the TV version of the interview or a later online version released on YouTube. However, it is present in the full transcript of the conversation published by CBS News. The transcript reveals that O'Donnell pressed Trump for an explanation, pointing out that Binance's financial transactions had close ties to World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture founded by Trump's sons.
Trump refused to answer the question, stating he didn't want to discuss it further, but later praised the crypto industry and claimed his sons were running a business in it. The segment was edited from both the TV and online versions of the interview.
Experts have questioned why this portion of the conversation was not included in either version of the interview. It is worth noting that Trump has previously made similar claims about editing footage to make Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, appear better, but such alterations would likely face scrutiny under election laws.
The controversy surrounding the omission from the 60 Minutes interview raises questions about Trump's approach to media regulation and censorship. The show settled with Trump in a reported $16 million settlement after he made similar claims, which many saw as an attempt to silence his criticisms of the network.
The question about Zhao was not included in the TV version of the interview or a later online version released on YouTube. However, it is present in the full transcript of the conversation published by CBS News. The transcript reveals that O'Donnell pressed Trump for an explanation, pointing out that Binance's financial transactions had close ties to World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency venture founded by Trump's sons.
Trump refused to answer the question, stating he didn't want to discuss it further, but later praised the crypto industry and claimed his sons were running a business in it. The segment was edited from both the TV and online versions of the interview.
Experts have questioned why this portion of the conversation was not included in either version of the interview. It is worth noting that Trump has previously made similar claims about editing footage to make Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, appear better, but such alterations would likely face scrutiny under election laws.
The controversy surrounding the omission from the 60 Minutes interview raises questions about Trump's approach to media regulation and censorship. The show settled with Trump in a reported $16 million settlement after he made similar claims, which many saw as an attempt to silence his criticisms of the network.
I'm literally confused right now! Like, how can you just leave out this huge conversation between Trump and O'Donnell? It's like, super shady if you ask me 
. The fact that they edited it out from both the TV and online versions is just red flag after red flag. And can we talk about how Trump's team always tries to spin the narrative? 
It's like, he claims he didn't know who Zhao was, but then later praises the crypto industry... yeah right! 
It just feels like another example of Trump using his power and influence to silence anyone who dares to criticize him.
. I mean, come on, he's dodging questions left and right about his pardon for Binance founder Zhao. It's pretty suspicious that they edited out part of the interview, especially since it would've been a major point to bring up about his family's ties to the crypto industry 
.
... and now they're settling w/ Trump for $16 mil? That's just crazy 
. I swear, this guy is getting away w/ way too much 
. It's just another example of how Trump thinks he can manipulate the media and get away w/ it. Not buying it, fam 
. why didn't they just be transparent about the pardon? 
but whats up with these editing tricks? like seriously who edits a convo and omits somethin important? didnt see it comin when they paid him 16 million dollars for this 
And no one in the White House bothered to brief him on his own buddy's situation? 
Sounds like a masterclass in, um, "diplomacy" 
... meanwhile, I'm over here thinking, "Did you guys really edit out that convo because Trump got defensive and didn't want to answer?" 
Maybe it's just me, but that kinda editing thingy feels super shady 
. Can someone explain to me why this wasn't included in the full interview? Did they think we'd all be like "Oh, no worries, it was edited for TV" and move on? 
... I mean, I've seen some shady stuff in my online browsing history but this is like something else. Trump's been known for his, uh, let's say "creative" editing skills 
... it makes you wonder if the show really settled with him just because he was making claims about them manipulating footage to make Harris look bad? Or is there more to this than meets the eye?
. It's all about who you're connected to and who's got your back, right? And what about Kamala Harris - if they edit footage to make her look bad, how much more editing will they do for Trump without anyone even batting an eye? 
it's wild how much power he wields over what gets released to the public 
... How much is a $16 million settlement gonna get you when it comes to credibility?