Paramount Settles With Trump For $16M

Paramount, CBS News' parent company, has settled a lawsuit from Donald Trump for $16 million, stemming from his claims of election interference during last year’s presidential campaign. 

The Washington Post reports the settlement, announced late Tuesday, followed months of negotiations. Trump filed the suit in Texas federal court in October, alleging CBS damaged his electoral prospects by airing two versions of a Kamala Harris interview response on “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation.” Trump’s team called the settlement a victory against “Fake News media,” with funds designated for his future presidential library, not him or co-plaintiff Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas). Paramount will not issue an apology.

The dispute centered on a “60 Minutes” interview where Harris discussed Biden’s influence over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A concise version aired on “60 Minutes,” while a longer, less coherent one appeared on “Face the Nation.” Trump’s lawyers claimed CBS deliberately distorted the news to favor Harris, who lost the election. 

CBS countered that the edits were for time, not manipulation, and released internal footage and transcripts in February to support this, following an FCC demand.

As part of the settlement, Paramount will release future “60 Minutes” presidential candidate interview transcripts post-broadcast, with redactions for legal or national security reasons. The deal also resolves a separate, unspecified threatened defamation action. Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, backed the settlement but recused herself from talks. 

The agreement may smooth Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance Media, under FCC review led by Trump appointee Brendan Carr. Paramount insists the settlement is unrelated to the merger and will continue defending its case legally.

Although Paramount and CBS have resolved Trump’s lawsuit, they faced opposition from network insiders, federal lawmakers, and California State Senate Democrats urging them not to settle. 

These groups, along with legal experts, argued the lawsuit was baseless and without merit.

Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden, and California Senate Democrats cautioned Shari Redstone that settling to gain regulatory approval could potentially violate federal anti-bribery laws. However, legal experts consulted by TheWrap downplayed the likelihood of bribery charges, calling it a “non-case,” while not entirely ruling out other legal challenges related to the settlement.