CBS parent company Paramount settled a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over an interview with then-vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris that was broadcast on its “60 Minutes” news program.
Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle the lawsuit, with the money allocated to Trump’s future presidential library and not to be paid directly to Trump.
The big picture: The settlement did not include a statement of apology or regret from Paramount as per the company statement, without affecting the direct financial implications.
- The lawsuit was initially filed for $10 billion, alleging deceptive editing that favored the Democratic Party in the election, later being amended to claim damages of $20 billion.
- CBS aired two versions of the Harris interview, which Trump alleged portrayed her giving different answers to the same question about the Israel-Hamas war, insinuating partisan bias.
- Paramount also agreed that “60 Minutes” would release interview transcripts with future U.S. presidential candidates after they aired, subject to redactions as required for legal or national security concerns.
Driving the news: The lawsuit accused CBS of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, positioning Trump’s novel use of such laws against news outlets as a potential means of circumventing legal protections for the press.
- The settlement comes as Paramount gears up for an $8.4-billion merger with Skydance Media, implying a strategic pre-merger resolution to avoid potential disruptions from ongoing legal disputes.
- The settlement follows a decision by Walt Disney-owned ABC News to settle a defamation case brought by Trump, where the network donated $15 million to Trump’s presidential library and publicly apologized for inaccurate comments made by anchor George Stephanopoulos.
- Additionally, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed to pay about $25 million to settle a lawsuit by Trump over the suspension of his accounts after the January 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol, suggesting a trend of media settlements with Trump.
