President Donald Trump has secured a high-profile legal win against one of Americaโs media giants โ and the payout is massive.
Donald Trump is no stranger to making deals โ or taking matters to court. And this time, the president came out on top.
Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, has now agreed to a $16 million settlement in a legal battle brought by Trump over an edited interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris that aired on the iconic news program 60 Minutes.
Trump alleged the network intentionally edited the interview to make Harris look smarter and more composed, giving her an unfair edge during the presidential race.
The settlement doesnโt come with an apology or admission of wrongdoing from CBS or Paramount โ but it does include a hefty financial agreement, reportedly covering Trumpโs legal fees and earmarking funds for his future presidential library.
According to a spokesperson for Trumpโs legal team, โCBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle.โ
The interview that sparked it all
The case centers around two versions of an interview with Kamala Harris โ one that aired on 60 Minutes and another on Face the Nation. Trump claimed that Harrisโs response to a question about the Biden administrationโs position on the Israel-Gaza conflict was edited in a way that concealed her so-called โword saladโ and avoided backlash.
Trumpโs attorney argued that the way CBS edited the interview caused the president significant emotional distress, saying he endured โmental anguishโ as a result.
CBS insisted the editing was standard practice done for time and denied any malicious intent.
โThe broadcast was not doctored or deceitful,โ a CBS spokesperson said.
Trump chose not to participate in a 60 Minutes interview during the campaign.
But Trumpโs lawsuit โ which initially demanded a jaw-dropping $10 billion in damages before being increased to $20 billion โ accused the network of trying to โtip the scales in favor of the Democratic party.โ
A media battle
The legal fight went public last October and intensified as Trumpโs legal team pushed the narrative that this wasnโt just about one interview โ it was about โholding the Fake News media accountable.โ
โA win for the American people,โ Trumpโs spokesperson declared after the settlement. โPresident Trump will always ensure that no one gets away with lying to the American people.โ
According to both theย Wall Street Journalย andย New York Times,ย Paramountโs decision to settle was influenced by its ongoing merger negotiations with Skydance Media. With the Federal Communications Commission reviewing the deal โ and Trump technically having the power to complicate it โ sources told The Wall Street Journal that executives were eager to resolve the issue swiftly.
However, the company pushed back on the speculation. โThis lawsuit is completely independent and is not related to either the Skydance transaction or the Federal Communications Commission approval process. We will abide by the legal process to defend our case,โ they stated.
As part of the agreement, 60 Minutes will also release full transcripts of interviews with future presidential candidates โ a move seen as a direct response to transparency concerns raised by Trumpโs team.
Fallout at CBS
The case has already sent shockwaves through CBS.
Several high-level executives, including CEO Wendy McMahon, are said to have exited during the month-long negotiations. Insiders claim their refusal to issue an apology to Trump contributed to the shake-up.
McMahon announced her resignation on May 19 and her departure comes months after 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens also resigned, citing a lack of journalistic independence amid Trumpโs lawsuit.
Behind the scenes, there was also growing concern about whether the payout could be viewed as a potential bribe to a public official, considering Trumpโs influential position in the media merger.
CBS has stood by its editorial standards but ultimately agreed to the settlement โ one of several recent media concessions to Trump. In a similar move, ABC News, owned by Disney, also recently settled a defamation case brought by the president.
Whether you view it as a media reckoning or a political pressure play, one thingโs clear: Donald Trump isnโt backing down from his war with what he calls the โFake News mediaโ โ and this time, he walked away with millions.
