A newly published report says that CBS parent Paramount is hesitating to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over the network’s decision to edit a Kamala Harris interview during last year’s presidential race, eliminating her word salad response and inserting a coherent statement.
The report in the New York Post confirms it’s because the corporation fears accusations of bribery should Democrats take over the U.S. House in the 2026 elections.
That fear is because there have been charges, without evidence, that the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission may not approve a pending merger involving Paramount absent a settlement.
The report said, “Approval of the deal by Trump’s regulators at the Federal Communications Commission is seen as contingent on settlement of the case, people at Paramount tell The Post. Trump legal reps and officials deny that the two issues are related, but Paramount executives are concerned that any large settlement would be considered a bribe since the fate of the $8 billion Paramount-Skydance merger is at stake.”
The report said Trump’s legal team had tried to settle for $50 million, but then reportedly agreed to the slightly lower figure.
“(The Trump people) appeared to be willing to settle for less, but even that amount worries the Paramount people,” one deal insider was quoted in the Post report.
Meanwhile, the report said a source close to the Trump legal team denied the $35 million figure was acceptable.
“CBS has denied the charges and the main allegation that it purposely edited the Kamala Harris interview to edit out her famous ‘word salad’ vernacular to make her sound more presidential,” the report said.
Media heiress Shari Redstone is wanting to sell Paramount to independent studio Skydance, and she has indicated previously her willingness to pay as much as $50 million to end the case.
She’s wants to “preserve some semblance of her inheritance from her late father, media mogul Sumner Redstone.”
Earlier, the Disney-owned ABC settled a Trump lawsuit, over anchor George Stephanopolous’ claims Trump was guilty of “rape,” paying $15 million.
“Skydance is run by movie maven David Ellison, the son of Trump friend and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who is worth approximately $250 billion,” the report said.
The report noted, “A Paramount spokesman declined comment. A legal rep for Trump didn’t return a request for comment. A Redstone rep didn’t return a request for comment.”
Democrats in Congress already have “raised the bribery issue and the worry is that a state attorney general or Congress — if it changes hands in the midterms — could launch an investigation,” the report said.
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Author: Bob Unruh
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