In a significant development, Paramount Global has reached a settlement agreement worth $16 million (£13.5 million) to resolve a legal dispute with former U.S. President Donald Trump. This lawsuit originated from an interview aired on CBS featuring former Vice President Kamal Harris, which Trump claimed was deceptively edited to undermine his campaign.
Last October, Trump filed a lawsuit alleging that CBS had manipulated an interview with Kamala Harris, broadcasted on its acclaimed 60 Minutes news program. The lawsuit asserted that the editing was intended to favor the Democratic Party during the election season. Paramount, which owns CBS, has confirmed that the settlement funds will be allocated to Trump's future presidential library, rather than being disbursed directly to him.
Paramount has clarified that the settlement does not come with a formal apology or acknowledgment of wrongdoing. CBS has consistently maintained that the lawsuit lacked merit and had previously sought dismissal from the court. The conclusion of this case is part of a broader pattern where U.S. media companies have faced legal challenges from Trump, who has criticized various outlets for their coverage, labeling it as misleading or false.
According to the federal court filing in Texas, the controversy revolved around two separate versions of Harris's interview responses concerning the Israel-Gaza war. The interviewer, Bill Whitaker, posed a question about the Biden administration's relationship with Israel, leading to differing responses from Harris in the two versions of the broadcast. Trump alleged that one version was edited to protect Harris from public backlash, a claim CBS disputed, stating that the edits were made strictly for time management in line with industry standards.
Trump initially sought damages of $10 billion (£8.5 billion), a figure that was later revised to $20 billion ($17 billion). In May 2023, Paramount proposed a settlement of $15 million (£12.7 million), which Trump rejected, requesting more than $25 million (£21 million). Ultimately, the agreement reached included coverage of Trump's legal fees and an obligation for 60 Minutes to release transcripts of interviews with future presidential candidates.
Reports from sources like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times indicated that the settlement was facilitated by a mediator to avoid jeopardizing Paramount's ongoing merger discussions with Skydance Media. The Federal Communications Commission is currently reviewing this merger, and Trump's legal actions could have posed a potential obstacle. During the negotiation period, some CBS executives, including CEO Wendy McMahon, departed from their positions, unwilling to issue an apology to Trump. Concerns were also raised about whether settling the lawsuit could be perceived as a form of bribery.
A spokesperson for Trump's legal team hailed the settlement as a victory for the American public, emphasizing Trump's ongoing efforts to hold what he terms the "Fake News media" accountable for their actions. CBS has reiterated that their original broadcast was neither doctored nor deceptive. This settlement follows a prior defamation case settlement by Walt Disney-owned ABC News, also involving Trump.
