Paramount, Trump Team Mediation: The Sides Are Not Even Close

Paramount Global and President Donald Trump began mediation talks on April 30, 2025, to resolve a contentious lawsuit, with significant financial and reputational gaps between their positions.

Trump, who filed a $20 billion lawsuit against Paramount’s CBS News over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, escalated his criticism on Truth Social the same day mediation started. He accused CBS of “cheating and defrauding” the public by editing Harris’s interview to make her appear more competent.

Details of the mediation proposals remain undisclosed, but sources indicate Paramount executives have internally discussed a settlement range of $15 million to $20 million, aligning with recent payouts by Disney and tech firms in similar Trump lawsuits. 

In contrast, Trump’s team is expected to demand a public apology and a sum far exceeding $20 million, with one source noting their higher expectations. When asked in February 2025 about his desired settlement amount, Trump vaguely stated, “I think it’s a lot.”

The lawsuit claims CBS deceitfully edited the 60 Minutes interview to favor Harris, a Democratic presidential candidate. CBS has denied these allegations, asserting the broadcast was neither doctored nor misleading.

Separately, FCC launched a probe into CBS for potential news distortion, while also reviewing Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media. As part of the merger review, the FCC is discussing conditions with Paramount, including a commitment to avoid specific corporate diversity initiatives, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Recent settlements provide context: Disney paid $16 million in 2024 to settle a Trump defamation lawsuit against ABC News over anchor George Stephanopoulos’s comments on sexual abuse allegations. Meta Platforms settled for $25 million in January 2025 for deplatforming Trump post-January 6, 2021. X, under Elon Musk’s ownership, paid $10 million to resolve a similar lawsuit when it was Twitter.