On July 1, Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, agreed to pay $16 million to settle the Trump lawsuit, a high-profile case filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump. The case stemmed from a “60 Minutes” segment aired in October, which Trump alleged was deceptively edited to favor Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle. While the settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing, apology, or regret, Paramount clarified that the funds will go toward Trump’s future presidential library and not be paid to him either directly or indirectly.
Initially seeking $10 billion in damages, Trump later amended his complaint in February, raising the amount to $20 billion. The suit accused CBS of manipulating Harris’s responses to questions about the Israel-Hamas conflict to mislead viewers. Paramount had maintained that the Trump lawsuit was meritless and had requested dismissal before entering mediation in April.
Legal and Political Context
Trump lawsuit claimed CBS’s actions violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits false or misleading practices in commerce. Media advocacy groups warned that such legal strategies could undermine longstanding protections afforded to news organizations, which are typically shielded from liability unless it’s proven they knowingly spread falsehoods about public figures.
The settlement comes at a pivotal time for Paramount, which is currently pursuing an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The deal is pending regulatory approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Notably, during his 2024 campaign trail, Trump had threatened to revoke CBS’s broadcasting license if he were re-elected. His ongoing criticism of the media, often labeling unfavorable coverage as “fake news,” continues to play a central role in his public persona.
A Broader Pattern of Legal Action Against Media
This settlement is the latest in a series of legal battles between Trump and major media corporations. In December, ABC News, owned by Walt Disney, reached a $15 million settlement in a defamation case with Trump, accompanied by a public apology over inaccurate remarks made by anchor George Stephanopoulos. Similarly, in January, Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed to pay $25 million to resolve a Trump lawsuit over account suspensions following the January 6 Capitol riot.
Trump has also targeted regional outlets. On December 17, he sued the Des Moines Register and its former top pollster over a November 2 poll that showed Kamala Harris leading him by three points in Iowa. Although the newspaper asserted the suit lacked merit, Trump refiled the case in an Iowa state court on June 30, following the withdrawal of the original federal filing.
With legal victories piling up, Trump has vowed to continue pursuing claims against news outlets he accuses of bias or misinformation. These recent settlements highlight a growing tension between the former president and the press, raising broader questions about media accountability and freedom.
