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US media conglomerate Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million (£13.5m) to resolve a high-profile legal dispute with President Donald Trump over a broadcast featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris. The legal action stemmed from a segment aired on CBS’s flagship programme 60 Minutes, which Trump alleged was deceptively edited to favour his political rival and skew public perception ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Filed last October in federal court in Texas, Trump’s lawsuit accused the network of manipulating an interview with Harris to “tip the scales in favour of the Democratic party.” He claimed CBS presented two different versions of Harris’s response to the same question about the Israel-Gaza war — one aired on Face the Nation and another on 60 Minutes. The interview, conducted by journalist Bill Whitaker, allegedly showed Harris giving inconsistent answers, and Trump argued that one version had been selectively edited to portray her more favourably and avoid public backlash.
CBS, a subsidiary of Paramount, previously dismissed the lawsuit as “completely without merit” and sought to have it thrown out by the court. The network defended the editing of Harris’s answer as a standard editorial decision made to fit broadcast time constraints, in line with established television journalism practices.
Despite maintaining its stance, Paramount has now confirmed that it will pay the $16 million settlement — not to Trump personally, but to be earmarked for his future presidential library. The company emphasized that the payment would not be made to Trump “directly or indirectly” and added that the agreement did not include any admission of wrongdoing, nor would it involve a formal apology or statement of regret.
The settlement follows several months of behind-the-scenes negotiations. Paramount initially offered $15 million (£12.7m) in May, but Trump reportedly demanded a figure exceeding $25 million (£21m) in damages. The final amount also includes coverage of Trump’s legal fees and comes with a new commitment from 60 Minutes to publish full interview transcripts with future presidential candidates.
Insiders from CBS and Paramount told the Wall Street Journal and New York Times that the deal was brokered with the assistance of a mediator and was partly motivated by Paramount’s upcoming merger with Skydance Media. That proposed merger is currently under regulatory review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a body Trump could influence given his position. The timing of the settlement suggests a strategic move to avoid any complications with the merger process.
The fallout from the case has already prompted internal changes. Several CBS News executives, including CEO Wendy McMahon, have reportedly stepped down after refusing to issue an apology to Trump, raising internal tensions over how to navigate the politically sensitive case. Some at the network also expressed concern that the payout might be construed as an improper incentive — potentially even a form of bribery — given Trump’s public office and role in overseeing media mergers.
A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team praised the outcome, calling it “another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit.” The spokesperson also claimed that Paramount and CBS had come to realize “the strength of this historic case.”
CBS, for its part, continues to stand by the integrity of its reporting, reiterating that the original segment was “not doctored or deceitful.”
This agreement with Paramount marks the second recent settlement between a major media outlet and Trump. Earlier this year, ABC News — owned by Walt Disney — also reached a deal to resolve a defamation case brought by the president. The settlements highlight an ongoing battle between Trump and the mainstream media, as he intensifies efforts to hold news organizations legally accountable for coverage he deems biased or unfair.
