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Media giant Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, which Trump claimed was deceptively edited to mislead viewers ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The agreement, which includes attorney fees and costs, was reached through mediation and will allocate most of the funds to the Trump presidential library, according to a statement from Paramount issued late Tuesday. The case had sought $20 billion in damages and was filed in the Northern District of Texas.
“With this record settlement, President Donald J. Trump delivers another win for the American people,” Trump’s legal team said in a statement, calling the outcome a victory against the “Fake News media.”
Terms of the Settlement
Paramount, which owns CBS, said the settlement includes the release of all claims related to any CBS reporting up to the date of the agreement. That encompasses not only the current Texas defamation suit, but also a threatened future defamation action.
“The settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret,” Paramount noted.
Importantly, neither Trump nor Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), who joined the suit as a co-plaintiff in February, will receive any personal financial compensation, according to the company. Instead, except for legal fees and costs, all funds will be used to support Trump’s presidential library initiative.
CBS News did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
New Editorial Guidelines at “60 Minutes”
As part of the settlement, CBS agreed to implement a new editorial transparency policy for election-related interviews. Specifically, the network committed that future “60 Minutes” interviews with eligible presidential candidates will be accompanied by a transcript released shortly after the broadcast.
The transcript release policy will include “redactions as required for legal or national security concerns,” Paramount said.
Context and Fallout
The lawsuit centered on a 2024 “60 Minutes” segment featuring Harris, in which Trump alleged the program selectively edited responses to misrepresent his campaign and record, potentially influencing public opinion ahead of the general election.
The settlement comes as Paramount seeks FCC approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media — a deal that requires review by federal regulators, now under Trump’s administration.
Though Paramount denied any connection between the settlement and the pending merger, the timing has raised questions within the industry.
“This lawsuit is completely separate from and unrelated to the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval process,” Paramount said in its Tuesday statement.
Internal Turmoil at CBS
The fallout from the case — and its political and financial implications — has caused upheaval within CBS News. Wendy McMahon, then-head of CBS News, resigned in May, citing differences with corporate leadership.
That departure followed the resignation of Bill Owens, executive producer of “60 Minutes,” who said in an internal memo that his journalistic independence had been curtailed in recent months.
Looking Ahead
While the $16 million settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, it marks one of the largest media-related settlements in recent history, and is being celebrated by Trump and his allies as a warning to mainstream outlets.
“CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle,” Trump’s legal team declared.
The outcome may influence how media companies edit and publish political interviews, especially as the 2028 campaign cycle looms. It also raises the stakes for networks involved in coverage of controversial figures and campaigns — particularly when litigation is used as a tool of political strategy.
