Paramount will pay $16M to settle Trump lawsuit
What's the story
Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump. The lawsuit was over an interview broadcast on CBS's 60 Minutes program featuring Kamala Harris. The settlement amount will be paid to Trump's future presidential library and not directly to him. Notably, the settlement does not include any apology or regret from Paramount. So, why is the broadcaster paying the money?
Lawsuit details
Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS
Trump had originally filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS in October, accusing the network of deceptively editing then-presidential candidate Harris's interview to favor the Democratic Party. He later amended his complaint, increasing the damages to $20 billion. The lawsuit alleged that CBS aired two versions of the interview in which Harris appeared to give contradictory answers about the Israel-Hamas war.
Legal proceedings
CBS had described the lawsuit as 'completely without merit'
CBS had described Trump's lawsuit as "completely without merit" and had sought its dismissal. The case was sent to mediation in April, leading to the current settlement. Paramount has also agreed to release transcripts of interviews with US presidential candidates in the future after airing them, subject to legal or national security redactions.
Ongoing disputes
Trump has been critical of the media
The settlement comes as Trump has been critical of the media, often calling unfavorable coverage "fake news." He had also threatened to revoke CBS's broadcasting license during his campaign. This isn't the first time a media company has settled with Trump. Walt Disney-owned ABC News settled a defamation case with him, donating $15 million to his presidential library for anchor George Stephanopoulos's comments. Stephanopoulos incorrectly claimed that Trump had been found liable in a court for raping writer Jean Carroll.
Previous settlements
Trump has filed more lawsuits against media outlets
Similarly, Meta Platforms settled a lawsuit with Trump for about $25 million over the suspension of his accounts after the January 6 Capitol attack. Trump has filed more lawsuits against media outlets, including one against Des Moines Register over a poll showing Harris leading him in Iowa. Coming back to the Paramount settlement, reports suggest news reps are unhappy with this bowing down, but the corporation thinks this settlement will help them pace a planned deal with Skydance Media.