Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with then-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Trump filed the original complaint in October 2024 in federal court in Texas under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.
It claimed CBS misled the public by airing two different versions of Harris’ answer about the Israel-Hamas conflict — first on “Face the Nation” and later on “60 Minutes.”
Trump argued the edits distorted her comments to favor Democrats ahead of the election. Editing for brevity and clarity is common in broadcast journalism, but Trump’s legal team argued the changes amounted to political manipulation.
The president initially sought $10 billion in damages, increasing the demand to $20 billion in an amended complaint that added federal false advertising claims. Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson joined the suit as a co-plaintiff.
What are the terms of the settlement?
Paramount will not pay Trump or Jackson directly. Instead, the $16 million will go toward legal fees and Trump’s future presidential library. The agreement does not include an apology.
The media company also committed to releasing transcripts of future “60 Minutes” interviews with presidential candidates, with redactions allowed for legal or national security reasons. CBS and Paramount maintained that the lawsuit lacked merit and said the editing followed standard newsroom practices.
Former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigned in April, and CBS News president Wendy McMahon left weeks later amid internal disagreements over editorial independence and the lawsuit’s handling.
What are the broader implications?
The settlement comes as Paramount seeks FCC approval for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. Around the same time, FCC Chair Brendan Carr — appointed by Trump — reopened a news distortion complaint over CBS’s editing of Kamala Harris’s 2024 interview.
Critics, including Democratic senators and media watchdogs, warned the settlement could be perceived as a political concession. Paramount’s board cited legal risk and shareholder exposure to resolve the case.
How does this compare to other settlements?
Paramount’s $16 million agreement is the fourth major media settlement involving Trump in recent months.
In December 2024, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to Trump’s future presidential library and $1 million in legal fees after anchor George Stephanopoulos inaccurately claimed Trump was found liable for rape. The network issued an online correction but did not apologize.
In January, Meta settled a lawsuit over Trump’s 2021 Facebook and Instagram ban, agreeing to pay $25 million, $22 million of which will fund the library.
In February, Elon Musk’s social media platform X agreed to a roughly $10 million settlement with Trump over his account suspension following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
All four companies denied wrongdoing but cited legal risks and litigation costs as key factors in their decision to settle.
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Author: Craig Nigrelli
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