Trump Returns to ’60 Minutes’ After Lawsuit Settlement/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Donald Trump returns to CBS’s “60 Minutes” after settling a $16 million lawsuit over a previous interview. The renewed appearance reflects shifting media dynamics following Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media. Trump’s sit-down with Norah O’Donnell hints at a newly repaired relationship with the network.
Trump Returns to ’60 Minutes’ Quick Looks
- Trump interviewed by CBS’s Norah O’Donnell at Mar-a-Lago
- First appearance on “60 Minutes” since filing lawsuit over Kamala Harris interview
- CBS settled lawsuit for $16 million ahead of Paramount-Skydance merger
- Trump previously accused the network of biased editing
- Former executive producer of “60 Minutes” resigned post-settlement
- Kenneth Weinstein hired to probe alleged CBS bias
- Bari Weiss appointed CBS News editor-in-chief
- Kushner and Witkoff appeared on CBS discussing Gaza peace
Deep Look
Trump Reconnects with ’60 Minutes’ After Legal Battle and Media Shake-Up
In a noteworthy media development, President Donald Trump is set to reappear on CBS’s “60 Minutes” this Sunday, marking his first interview with the network since resolving a legal dispute earlier this year. The interview was conducted at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate by CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell and reflects a thaw in what has long been a contentious relationship between Trump and one of television’s most-watched news programs.
Trump’s return follows the settlement of a lawsuit he filed against CBS News, which stemmed from his objections to the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign. Trump accused the network of manipulating the segment to portray Harris in a favorable light, a charge CBS denied. Nevertheless, CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, chose to settle the lawsuit for $16 million this past summer, a move that came just before the Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media.
The merger brought in new Paramount CEO David Ellison, the son of Oracle founder and longtime Trump backer Larry Ellison. Under David’s leadership, CBS appears to be realigning its relationship with the former president. Trump has publicly praised both Ellisons, calling them “friends” and “big supporters,” and expressed confidence in the network’s future direction.
CBS has offered few details about the parameters of the interview or how it came together, leaving questions about whether any preconditions were set. Notably, O’Donnell is not a regular on “60 Minutes,” raising speculation about her selection for the segment. Her presence may have been intended to offer a fresh or more neutral lens for the high-profile conversation.
Trump has a complicated history with the newsmagazine. In 2020, he abruptly walked out of an interview with correspondent Lesley Stahl, later releasing his own unedited footage and claiming unfair treatment. He then skipped the program entirely during the 2024 campaign, even as Harris appeared on the show.
The fallout from Trump’s lawsuit also reshaped CBS News internally. Longtime “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigned in the spring, stating he could no longer operate the show independently. His departure fueled speculation that corporate interference, possibly tied to the lawsuit and ongoing merger, had compromised editorial control.
Following the merger, newly installed leadership at Paramount signaled a shift. Kenneth Weinstein, a conservative figure and known supporter of Trump’s 2024 campaign, was brought on to investigate concerns about bias in CBS’s reporting. Meanwhile, Paramount acquired the Free Press website in October and named its founder, Bari Weiss, as editor-in-chief of CBS News. A polarizing but influential voice in journalism, Weiss is known for her critiques of mainstream media bias and has quickly influenced programming decisions.
Weiss reportedly helped book recent “60 Minutes” guests Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and aide Steve Witkoff. Their interview, which aired two weeks ago, centered on the emerging peace deal in Gaza—another sign of increasing alignment between CBS and the Trump orbit.
While many in the media world view this rapprochement with caution, Trump’s latest interview signals a new phase in the relationship between the former president and CBS News. As both sides recalibrate their media strategies ahead of 2028, the interview could set the tone for how Trump engages with mainstream networks going forward.
Flying back from the Middle East on October 12, Trump reaffirmed his ties to the Ellison family, telling reporters aboard Air Force One, “Larry Ellison is great, and his son David is great. They’re friends of mine. They’re big supporters of mine, and they’ll do the right thing.”
The upcoming “60 Minutes” episode will be closely watched not just for Trump’s comments, but for what it reveals about the evolving power dynamics between politics, media, and corporate influence in a post-merger landscape.
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