CBS Files Response in Trump $20B Editorial Judgment Lawsuit

President Donald Trump has filed a $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News and its parent company Paramount Global, alleging that the network deceptively edited a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, violating Texas consumer protection laws and causing financial harm to his media businesses. CBS and Paramount have repeatedly responded by asserting that the lawsuit is meritless and protected by the First Amendment, emphasizing that editorial decisions by news organizations about public officials cannot give rise to liability. Central to the dispute is whether the interview and its promotion constitute protected editorial speech or commercial speech; CBS argues that the broadcasts involve issues of utmost public concern and are fully protected, citing Supreme Court precedent rejecting the commercial speech argument. Trump’s legal team claims the edits were designed to boost Harris' electoral prospects and that CBS's promotion of the interview competes with his media interests, including Truth Social, but CBS contends no evidence supports these claims. Settlement discussions are ongoing, but CBS continues to urge dismissal of the lawsuit, characterizing it as an attempt to evade fundamental First Amendment protections for news media. The case highlights tensions between political figures and media organizations over editorial control and legal protections in the coverage of political campaigns.