Paramount agrees to pay Donald Trump $16 million in a settlement over a “60 Minutes” interview, acknowledging their deceptive editing practices that favored Kamala Harris.
At a Glance
- Paramount settled a $20 billion lawsuit filed by Donald Trump over a CBS interview with Kamala Harris, agreeing to pay $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library.
- Trump alleged CBS deceptively edited the interview to favor the Democratic Party, initially filing a $10 billion lawsuit which was later increased to $20 billion.
- CBS aired two versions of the Harris interview, which Trump claimed showed different answers to the same question.
- The settlement does not include an apology or regret from Paramount, though CBS previously stated the lawsuit was “completely without merit.”
- This settlement follows similar actions by Disney’s ABC News and Meta Platforms, who also resolved legal disputes with Trump.
Mainstream Media Gets Expensive Lesson in Truth-Telling
In a stunning blow to the mainstream media’s manipulation tactics, Paramount Global has agreed to pay former President Donald Trump a whopping $16 million to settle his lawsuit over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. The lawsuit, which originally sought $10 billion in damages before being increased to $20 billion, centered on allegations that CBS deceptively edited Harris’s interview to present her in a more favorable light compared to Trump’s own interview with the program. This settlement marks yet another victory for Trump in his ongoing battle against what he consistently refers to as “fake news.”
The media giant’s decision to settle rather than fight the case in court speaks volumes about the merits of Trump’s claims. Despite CBS initially dismissing the lawsuit as “completely without merit,” their parent company Paramount’s willingness to pay out $16 million suggests otherwise. The settlement amount will reportedly go toward Trump’s future presidential library, creating a permanent reminder of this media accountability moment. What’s particularly telling is that while agreeing to pay millions, Paramount refused to issue an apology or express any regret for their actions.
The Deceptive Editing That Cost Paramount Millions
At the heart of Trump’s lawsuit was the claim that CBS aired two distinctly different versions of the Harris interview, showing different answers to the same question. This manipulative editing practice allegedly violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act. For years, conservative viewers have suspected that mainstream news outlets employ editing tricks to portray Democrats favorably while painting Republicans in the worst possible light. This settlement appears to validate those concerns in a very expensive way for Paramount.
The timing of the settlement is particularly interesting, coming as Paramount prepares for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. Corporate executives likely calculated that settling with Trump would be less costly than prolonged litigation that might expose their editorial practices to even greater scrutiny. Media advocacy groups have expressed concern over Trump’s use of consumer protection laws against news outlets, but perhaps they should instead be questioning why supposedly reputable news organizations engage in practices that make them vulnerable to such lawsuits in the first place.
A Pattern of Media Accountability
This settlement doesn’t stand alone. It follows similar actions by other major media companies, including Disney’s ABC News and Meta Platforms, who also chose to resolve legal disputes with Trump rather than defend their practices in court. Trump has consistently criticized the media as “fake news” throughout his political career, and these settlements suggest his criticisms may have more substance than his detractors want to admit. The former president has also filed additional lawsuits against other media outlets, including the Des Moines Register, over alleged deceptive practices.
Trump has previously threatened to revoke CBS’s broadcasting license if elected president, citing their biased coverage and deceptive practices. While such a move would face significant legal challenges, the threat underscores the seriousness with which Trump views media accountability. For conservative Americans who have long felt misrepresented and manipulated by mainstream news outlets, these settlements represent a rare moment of vindication. Whether this $16 million lesson will actually change how networks like CBS report on conservative figures remains to be seen, but at the very least, it has hit them where it hurts—their bottom line.
