CBS, Paramount Settle $16M Lawsuit with Trump Over Edited Harris Interview

CBS News and its parent company Paramount Global agreed to a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over the editing of a 60 Minutes interview featuring Kamala Harris, which Trump claimed distorted her responses and harmed his electoral chances. The payment will go to Trump's presidential library, with no apology or admission of fault from CBS, highlighting ongoing concerns about media bias and political manipulation. Paramount CEO George Cheeks explained the settlement was a strategic decision to avoid costly and unpredictable litigation and minimize the risk of an adverse judgment, unrelated to Paramount's pending $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The case originated from allegations that CBS deceptively edited Harris's interview to present her in a more favorable light, an act Trump’s legal team described as election interference. While some media insiders and legal experts viewed the lawsuit as frivolous, the settlement and its size mark a significant victory for Trump and serve as a warning to media outlets about accountability. The settlement also clears regulatory hurdles for Paramount’s merger, which faced delays partly due to complaints related to the interview.