CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, agreed to pay $16 million to President Donald Trump on Tuesday to settle his lawsuit relating to the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Paramount said its payment, minus the legal fees, will be paid to Trump’s future presidential library and agreed to release the written transcripts of future “60 Minutes” interviews with presidential candidates, The New York Times reported. The settlement did not include an apology.
Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News in October 2024 after the network appeared to manipulate Harris’ interview with “60 Minutes” just weeks away from the 2024 election. The lawsuit, which increased to $20 billion in February, alleged that CBS News participated in “deliberate deception” by omitting parts of Harris’ answer on former President Joe Biden’s stance on Israel in order to bolster her chances in the election.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the full video and transcript of the”60 Minutes” interview, which was found to be over twice as long as the version released to the public.
The lawsuit prompted Bill Owens, the now-former executive producer of “60 Minutes,” to resign from his position in April, stating that he had lost journalistic independence. Wendy McMahon then stepped down from her role as president and CEO of CBS News and Stations, telling her staff in a May 19 memo that the network faced a “challenging time.”
In an April 13 Truth Social post, Trump called on the FCC to revoke CBS News’ license and “impose the maximum fines and punishment” for allegedly attempting to help Harris win the 2024 election. He accused the network of covering him in a “derogatory and defamatory way” during their coverage of two stories on him in April.
“They are not a ‘News Show,’ but a dishonest Political Operative simply disguised as ‘News,’ and must be responsible for what they have done, and are doing. They should lose their license!” Trump said. “Hopefully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as headed by its Highly Respected Chairman, Brendan Carr, will impose the maximum fines and punishment, which is substantial, for their unlawful and illegal behavior.”
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