It was late 2020. The air was thick with election tension. Donald Trump sat across from Lesley Stahl in the White House, and then, suddenly, he wasn’t there anymore. He just walked out. Honestly, that single moment—the Donald Trump 60 Minutes interview walkout—became one of those cultural flashpoints that define how we remember his first term. But that’s just one chapter.
If you look at the history between Trump and CBS’s flagship news program, it’s basically a decade-long boxing match. It’s not just about one bad sit-down. It’s about a total shift in how presidents talk to the press. Or, in Trump’s case, how he refuses to.
The Famous 2020 Walkout: Why He Actually Left
Most people remember the clip of him leaving. They don't always remember the why. Trump claimed Stahl was being unfair from the jump. He didn't like her opening. She asked if he was "ready for some tough questions," and he fired back that she didn't ask Joe Biden those same things.
The tension was real.
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He was frustrated about questions regarding his handling of COVID-19 and his rhetoric about suburban women. Eventually, he’d had enough. "I think we have enough of an interview here," he said. And he was gone. He even scooped the network by releasing his own raw footage of the interview before they could air it. It was a classic "get ahead of the story" move that we've seen a hundred times since.
Fast Forward to 2025: The $16 Million Settlement
You might’ve missed this because things move fast, but the saga didn’t end in 2020. Not by a long shot. In 2024, Trump refused to do the traditional pre-election interview. He was still mad about how they edited Kamala Harris's interview. He sued them. He claimed they "deceptively" edited her answer on Israel to make her look better.
Guess what? Paramount actually settled. They paid out $16 million in the summer of 2025 to end the lawsuit. That’s huge. It’s almost unheard of for a major news organization to pay a politician like that over an editing dispute.
This paved the way for his return. On November 2, 2025, Trump sat down with Norah O’Donnell for his first 60 Minutes appearance in five years. It was different this time. The network was under new management, with David Ellison’s Skydance having taken over Paramount.
What Went Down in the November 2025 Interview
This wasn't a walkout. It was a 90-minute marathon at Mar-a-Lago, though they only aired about 28 minutes on TV. If you want the real tea, you have to look at the unedited transcript.
Trump was actually pretty complimentary toward the new leadership. He called Bari Weiss, the new CBS News editor-in-chief, a "great new leader." He seemed to feel like he had finally "won" his battle with the network. But the policy talk? That was just as combative as ever.
- The Shutdown: He was firm about the government shutdown happening at the time. He said he wouldn't be "extorted" by Democrats over Affordable Care Act subsidies.
- Immigration: When O'Donnell asked about the intensity of ICE raids, he didn't back down. He said they "haven't gone far enough."
- The Media: He told O'Donnell he didn't want to "embarrass" her, but then bragged about the $16 million the network paid him.
Breaking Down the "Greatest Nine Months" Claim
During that latest Donald Trump 60 Minutes interview, he kept repeating a specific phrase. He claimed he'd had the "greatest nine months in the history of the presidency." He pointed to the stock market and tariffs as proof.
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He’s obsessed with the "nuclear option" too. No, not the bombs—the Senate filibuster. He told O'Donnell he wants to end it to push through his agenda. It’s a move that would fundamentally change how Washington works, and he’s not shy about it.
The Missing Footage
There’s a lot of stuff that didn't make the broadcast. For example, he tried to get Norah O'Donnell to admit that crime was down in D.C. She wouldn't bite. She just said she "goes to work and goes home." He called that a "not fair answer."
He also talked about Venezuela, claiming they were "dumping" prisoners into the US. It’s the same rhetoric from 2016, but refined for a 2026 audience. Honestly, it’s fascinating how little his core message has changed, even if the platforms he uses to spread it have.
Why These Interviews Still Matter
You might think, "it's just a TV show." But 60 Minutes is the "gold standard." When a president refuses to go on, or walks out, or sues them for $16 million, it changes the rules for everyone else.
If you're trying to keep up with the political landscape, here is what you should actually do:
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- Check the Transcripts: Never rely on the 15-minute YouTube clip. The networks usually post the full text. That’s where the real context lives.
- Watch the "Un-aired" Clips: Frequently, the most revealing moments are the ones the editors thought were too "inside baseball" for the Sunday night crowd.
- Compare the Eras: Look at the 2016 Leslie Stahl interview versus the 2025 Norah O'Donnell one. The shift from "I'm a sober person" to "They paid me $16 million" tells you everything you need to know about his evolving relationship with the media.
The Donald Trump 60 Minutes interview isn't just a piece of news. It's a barometer for how much power the traditional press still holds—or doesn't.