Paramount Global Reaches Settlement with Trump’s Foundation Over 60 Minutes Interview
In a significant legal resolution, Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, has agreed to a $16 million settlement to President Trump’s foundation for his future presidential library. This settlement addresses a lawsuit over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris during last fall’s elections. The settlement also includes payment of Trump’s legal fees, although it does not feature an apology from Paramount.
As part of the agreement, Paramount consented to release transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates conducted by 60 Minutes in the future, albeit with possible redactions due to legal or national security reasons, according to CBS News.
Legal experts view Trump’s lawsuit as a questionable claim of election interference, challenging the editorial discretion typically exercised by broadcast journalists. The settlement is seen as a setback for CBS News and 60 Minutes, not due to their reporting, but rather because of corporate decisions made high above them.
The lawsuit centered on a 60 Minutes interview where different portions of Harris’ response to a question were used in two separate broadcasts. CBS’s legal team presented strong defenses, even as Paramount executives negotiated with Trump’s lawyers.
Shari Redstone, the controlling owner of Paramount, has significant financial interests at stake in a potential sale of the company to Skydance Media, currently under review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The review is headed by Trump’s appointee, Brendan Carr.
“This is protection money”
In the lawsuit filed in Eastern Texas, Trump’s legal team accused CBS of “unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive and substantial news distortion.” University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias commented on the settlement, questioning, “Am I supposed to take that seriously?”
Northwestern University law professor Heidi Kitrosser described Trump’s legal actions as an attempt to intimidate the press, pointing out the broader trend of media companies settling lawsuits with Trump. ABC News’s parent, the Walt Disney Co., and Meta have also settled lawsuits with Trump for significant sums.
The FCC’s review of Paramount’s sale includes scrutiny over the transfer of public airwaves licenses. Kitrosser suggests that settlements like this one serve as “protection money” amid federal reviews.
An involved FCC chief
Skydance Media’s CEO David Ellison, whose acquisition deal for Paramount is supported by his father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, has received praise from Trump, who hopes the deal is approved.
FCC Chairperson Carr has requested CBS provide raw footage and full transcripts of the 60 Minutes interview, aligning with Trump’s demands. CBS initially resisted but ultimately complied, citing legal obligations. The FCC publicly posted the unedited materials, and CBS followed suit, stating there was no bias in the presentation of Harris’s interview.
Trump reacted by calling for CBS to lose its license, which led to further scrutiny of the network under the FCC’s new agenda. Tobias noted the pressure on media companies to settle weak cases due to governmental influence.
