Fox News Celebrates Trump's CBS Settlement as a Victory Against the "System

Fox News commentator Charlie Hurt presented Paramount's decision to settle Donald Trump's lawsuit against CBS News as a win for the "little guy" against the "system." He framed the settlement, which involved a payment to Trump, as proof that one can challenge powerful entities and achieve victory.

Paramount announced the settlement just hours before its annual shareholders meeting. The company agreed to pay Trump and his legal team $16 million to resolve the lawsuit. The lawsuit concerned the editing of a Kamala Harris interview on "60 Minutes." Legal experts considered the lawsuit baseless.

The lawsuit accused the network of "election interference" due to the editing of the interview. Paramount's top shareholder and the company's board reportedly pushed for the settlement amid a pending merger. The merger required approval from the Trump administration.

The newsroom at CBS was reportedly tense over the looming settlement. The announcement of the payment to Trump was met with negative reactions from network staff. Paramount maintains the lawsuit is unrelated to the merger. However, the company may face legal challenges over potential anti-bribery violations.

The Freedom of the Press Foundation criticized Paramount's decision, calling it an insult to the First Amendment. Fox News, which had largely supported the lawsuit, portrayed the settlement as a major victory for Trump. Hurt, on Fox News, highlighted Trump's willingness to challenge the media. He also praised the "Trump rule" requiring the release of unedited transcripts of "60 Minutes" interviews with presidential candidates. Hurt insisted that Trump's actions were akin to David versus Goliath.