Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit brought by U.S. President Donald Trump over a CBS “60 Minutes” interview, with the funds allocated to his future presidential library.
The settlement, reached on Wednesday, concludes a months-long legal dispute over a broadcast interview with the then-vice president Kamala Harris, which Trump alleged was deceptively edited to favour the Democratic Party. Paramount did not issue an apology or admit wrongdoing.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Texas last October, originally sought $10 billion in damages, later increased to $20 billion. Trump claimed that CBS aired conflicting versions of Harris’s comments on the Israel-Hamas war, which he said misled voters and violated Texas consumer protection laws.
CBS, a division of Paramount, had previously described the claims as “completely without merit” and sought to have the case dismissed.
Paramount said the $16 million settlement would be directed to Trump’s planned presidential library and “not paid to Trump directly or indirectly.” It also agreed that future '60 Minutes' interviews with presidential candidates would be accompanied by post-broadcast transcripts, subject to legal or national security redactions.
The mediation process began in April. A spokesperson for Paramount Chair Shari Redstone did not comment, and The White House did not respond to media queries. Trump’s lawyer Edward A Paltzik was not immediately available.
The deal marks another high-profile media concession to Trump. In December, ABC News settled a defamation case with a $15 million donation to the Trump library and issued a public apology for a misstatement by anchor George Stephanopoulos. Meta Platforms also paid $25 million to settle a lawsuit over Trump’s account suspensions following the 2021 Capitol riot.
The Paramount settlement comes as the company seeks regulatory approval for an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. Trump, on the campaign trail, has previously threatened to revoke CBS’ broadcasting licence if re-elected.
Media law experts have raised concerns that Trump’s use of consumer protection statutes to pursue media organisations could test the limits of press freedoms in the U.S., where defamation cases involving public figures typically require proof of actual malice.
Separately, Trump is pursuing legal action against the Des Moines Register over a pre-election poll. That case, initially filed in federal court, was refiled in Iowa state court on 30 June.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), part of the Copernicus European Environmental Monitoring Programme, shows that 411,315 ...
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has ordered a reinforcement of the “Relámpago del Catatumbo” operation, extending it to Tachira state under ...
North Korea has criticised the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, with state media reporting that the drills demonstrate Washing...
The Minister of Finance of Tajikistan, Faiziddin Kahhorzoda, and the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund, Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, have sign...
On Monday, Russia claimed its forces had carried out extensive strikes on Ukrainian drone bases and other military targets over the past 24 hours, whi...
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), part of the Copernicus European Environmental Monitoring Programme, shows that 411,315 hectares of forest and rural land have burned in Spain so far this year — roughly ten times more than the 42,615 hectares affected in 2024.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has ordered a reinforcement of the “Relámpago del Catatumbo” operation, extending it to Tachira state under Peace Zone One.
North Korea has criticised the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, with state media reporting that the drills demonstrate Washington’s intent to “occupy” the Korean peninsula and target its regional adversaries.
The Minister of Finance of Tajikistan, Faiziddin Kahhorzoda, and the Director General of the Qatar Development Fund, Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, have signed an agreement to provide a $50 million concessionary loan to support the construction of the Rogun Hydropower Plant.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
A major fire has broken out at Hamburg’s city port, leaving several people injured.
Data from the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), part of the Copernicus European Environmental Monitoring Programme, shows that 411,315 hectares of forest and rural land have burned in Spain so far this year — roughly ten times more than the 42,615 hectares affected in 2024.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has ordered a reinforcement of the “Relámpago del Catatumbo” operation, extending it to Tachira state under Peace Zone One.
North Korea has criticised the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, with state media reporting that the drills demonstrate Washington’s intent to “occupy” the Korean peninsula and target its regional adversaries.
On Monday, Russia claimed its forces had carried out extensive strikes on Ukrainian drone bases and other military targets over the past 24 hours, while Ukraine reported having destroyed a significant amount of Russian military hardware.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment