Paramount to Pay $16 Million to Settle Trump’s "60 Minutes" Lawsuit
Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed last October by President Donald Trump.
Why did President Trump Sue?
The lawsuit arose from a “60 Minutes” interview that took place with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, when CBS aired two versions of Harris’s response to a question about the Israel-Gaza conflict, which Trump alleged was deceptively edited to protect Harris and harm his own campaign. CBS maintained it simply edited for time, as is common in TV news.
While Trump sought up to $20 billion in damages, the settlement funds, which include the president’s legal fees, will not go directly to him but will instead be allocated to his future presidential library. Paramount has stressed that the deal “does not include a statement of apology or regret,” and that as part of the settlement, "60 Minutes" will release transcripts of future presidential candidate interviews after airing.
According to Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, Paramount’s urgency to secure regulatory approval for a major merger with Skydance Media likely influenced its decision to settle, despite internal resistance and concerns over whether the payment could be seen as a bribe.
This settlement mirrors a similar $15 million agreement Disney’s ABC News made with Trump last year. Trump’s legal team hailed the outcome as “another win for the American people,” while CBS continues to defend the integrity of its journalism amid ongoing scrutiny. The case highlights the increasing legal and political pressures media companies face when covering controversial figures and high-stakes elections.
