Paramount Settles Trump Lawsuit Over CBS Interview for $16 Million

Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump over a controversial "60 Minutes" interview aired in October. The funds will be allocated to Trump’s future presidential library, with no direct or indirect payment to Trump himself. The settlement includes no apology or admission of wrongdoing by Paramount.

Trump initially sued CBS for $10 billion, later increasing the claim to $20 billion, alleging the network deceptively edited an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris to sway the 2024 election in favor of the Democratic Party. According to the lawsuit, two different responses were shown to the same question about the Israel-Hamas war, violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

While CBS called the suit “completely without merit,” it ultimately agreed to release transcripts of future presidential candidate interviews on "60 Minutes," allowing for redactions based on legal or national security concerns.

This settlement follows other recent media concessions. ABC News, owned by Disney, previously settled a defamation case with Trump, donating $15 million to his presidential library and issuing a public apology. Meta Platforms, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also settled a lawsuit with Trump for $25 million over his social media account bans following the January 6 Capitol riot.

As Paramount moves toward an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, the legal settlement helps remove a potential hurdle ahead of regulatory approval. Trump has made clear his intent to continue legal action against media organizations he accuses of biased or misleading coverage. He recently refiled a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register over a poll showing Kamala Harris leading in Iowa, accusing the outlet of deceptive practices.