Paramount Settles Trump Lawsuit Over CBS Interview, Paying $16 Million

Paramount, the parent company of CBS, reached a settlement with former U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, resolving a lawsuit concerning an interview broadcast in October. As part of the agreement, Paramount will pay $16 million, with the funds designated for Trump's future presidential library, and not paid to Trump directly or indirectly. The settlement does not include any statement of apology or regret from the company.

The lawsuit stemmed from an interview that aired on CBS's "60 Minutes" program, featuring then-vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Trump alleged that the network deceptively edited the interview, aiming to influence the election in favor of the Democratic Party. Initially seeking $10 billion in damages, Trump later increased the claim to $20 billion. The core of the dispute centered on two versions of the Harris interview, where she appeared to give different responses to the same question regarding the Israel-Hamas war. CBS had previously maintained the lawsuit was without merit and sought its dismissal.

In addition to the financial settlement, Paramount agreed that "60 Minutes" would release transcripts of interviews with future U.S. presidential candidates after they air, subject to redactions for legal or national security concerns. Trump's lawsuit claimed CBS's editing violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act. Media advocacy groups have expressed concern that Trump's use of such laws against news outlets could undermine press protections.

This settlement follows similar resolutions with other media entities. Walt Disney-owned ABC News settled a defamation case with Trump, donating $15 million to his presidential library and issuing a public apology. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also settled a lawsuit with Trump over the suspension of his accounts, agreeing to pay approximately $25 million. Trump has indicated he intends to pursue further legal action against the media, including a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register newspaper and its former pollster over a published poll.