In a move that underscores the increasingly tense relationship between the media and former U.S. President Donald Trump, Paramount Global—the parent company of CBS—has agreed to a $16 million settlement over a lawsuit filed by Trump concerning a 60 Minutes interview with then-vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The lawsuit, originally seeking $10 billion in damages and later revised to $20 billion, accused CBS of deliberately editing Harris’s interview in a way that allegedly skewed public perception ahead of the 2020 election. Trump claimed the editing made Harris appear inconsistent on a key issue—the Israel-Hamas conflict—and unfairly favored the Democratic Party.
Although Paramount will pay $16 million as part of the agreement, it made clear the funds will go to Trump’s future presidential library and not to him personally. Importantly, the company issued no apology or admission of wrongdoing.
In a significant shift, Paramount also agreed to release transcripts of future 60 Minutes interviews with presidential candidates after broadcast, with allowances for redactions tied to legal or national security concerns.
While CBS had earlier dismissed the case as “completely without merit,” the matter was ultimately steered into mediation this past April, resulting in today’s settlement. Neither the White House nor Trump’s legal team has issued a statement following the announcement.
This is not the first time a major media outlet has reached a financial agreement with Trump. Late last year, ABC News, owned by Disney, settled a defamation case for $15 million and issued a rare public apology for inaccurate on-air comments about Trump. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also agreed to a $25 million settlement in January related to the suspension of Trump’s social media accounts following the January 6 Capitol riot.
As Trump continues his latest presidential campaign, he remains vocally critical of the press—frequently labeling stories he dislikes as “fake news” and even threatening to revoke CBS’s broadcasting license if re-elected.
Meanwhile, Paramount is navigating its own big changes, including a proposed $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media that’s currently awaiting federal approval. The timing of this settlement suggests a desire to resolve legal distractions ahead of that major corporate move.
Trump has made it clear—this won’t be his last legal battle with the media. Just last month, he moved forward with a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register, claiming their political polling was misleading and damaged his campaign. That suit is now active in Iowa state court.
With tensions still high, today’s resolution may mark the end of one chapter—but certainly not the story.
