Paramount to Pay $16M For Trump Lawsuit Over ’60 Minutes’ Interview/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Paramount will pay $16 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit over CBS’ edited “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris. The funds go to Trump’s presidential library, not him personally. The settlement ignites debate over press freedom and media ethics.
Quick Look
- Paramount settles Trump’s lawsuit for $16 million
- Dispute focused on editing of Kamala Harris interview
- Money earmarked for Trump’s presidential library, not personal gain
- CBS executives resigned amid settlement fallout
- Media freedom advocates threaten legal action against deal
Paramount Agrees to $16 Million Settlement With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview
Deep Look
Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over the editing of a CBS “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October — a case that drew intense interest as a potential test of press freedoms.
Under the settlement, Paramount said the payment will be directed to Trump’s future presidential library rather than to the president personally. The company stressed that the agreement does not include any apology.
Trump’s legal team argued that he suffered “mental anguish” because of how CBS edited the Harris interview. Paramount and CBS strongly rejected claims the footage was manipulated to make Harris appear more articulate, and had previously sought to dismiss the lawsuit as meritless.
The White House has not commented publicly on the settlement, which was filed in Amarillo, Texas.
Press freedom advocates and journalists inside CBS had been closely watching the case. Lawyers for CBS labeled Trump’s complaint “completely without merit” and initially vowed to fight it vigorously in court.
In February, “60 Minutes” released the full, unedited transcript of the Harris interview.
As part of the mediated settlement, Paramount agreed that “60 Minutes” will publicly release transcripts of future interviews with presidential candidates, though the releases may be subject to redactions for legal or national security reasons, according to CBS News.
Trump, who declined an interview with “60 Minutes” during the 2024 campaign, objected to edits showing Harris offering two seemingly different answers to the same question posed by correspondent Bill Whitaker. CBS explained that both clips were drawn from Harris’ lengthy response, edited for brevity and clarity across “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation.”
Trump’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, claimed the edits sowed confusion and “mental anguish,” diverted voter attention, and hurt engagement on Trump’s Truth Social platform.
The settlement talks were driven in part by Paramount and its controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, as the company seeks government approval for its planned merger with Skydance Media. Meanwhile, CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and “60 Minutes” Executive Producer Bill Owens, who reportedly opposed settling the lawsuit, have both resigned in recent weeks.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation, a media advocacy group and Paramount shareholder, has said it plans to file legal action to challenge the settlement.
This agreement is the latest in a series of settlements between major media companies and Trump. In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library to resolve a defamation lawsuit over statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. Meta also reportedly paid $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit challenging his suspensions from social media platforms following the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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