CBS to pay $16m in lawsuit settlement with Trump

Paramount Global, one of the largest U.S. media and entertainment corporations, has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The lawsuit, lodged last October, alleged that CBS News, a subsidiary of Paramount, harmed Trump’s electoral chances by airing different versions of an answer given by then-Vice President Kamala Harris during an interview for its flagship program “60 Minutes.”

The settlement, announced on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, follows months of intense negotiations between the media giant and President Trump’s legal team.

Trump had accused CBS News of deceptive editing related to an interview with Kamala Harris, contending that different versions of her response to a question were aired on “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation,” misleading the public and impacting his presidential campaign.

According to reports from The Washington Post and other U.S. media outlets, the $16 million payout will not go directly to President Trump but will instead be allocated to his future presidential library.

A key component of the settlement is Paramount’s agreement to release all future transcripts of interviews that “60 Minutes” conducts with U.S. presidential candidates after such interviews have aired.

This commitment is “subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns.”

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Sources indicate that Paramount chose to “buy peace” with the President rather than engage in a protracted and costly legal battle to defend “60 Minutes” and its journalists in court. Notably, the settlement does not include any statement of apology or regret from Paramount.

This agreement comes at a critical juncture for Paramount Global, as its leaders are actively pursuing a sale of the company to David Ellison’s Skydance Media.

This significant merger requires the blessing of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and observers suggest the settlement could help clear a path for regulatory approval.

This marks the second major financial settlement between President Trump and a prominent news outlet. Last December, ABC News settled a separate defamation lawsuit brought by Trump by issuing a public apology and providing $15 million, also directed to his future presidential library.

These successive settlements against major media corporations highlight President Trump’s ongoing strategy of aggressively challenging news coverage he deems unfair or misleading.