Paramount Pays $16 Million to Settle Trump’s 60 Minutes Lawsuit

Paramount Global settled President Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit alleging deceptive editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with Vice President Kamala Harris by agreeing to pay $16 million and commit to releasing transcripts of future presidential candidate interviews, but without issuing an apology. Executives defended the settlement as a way to avoid unpredictable legal costs, reputational harm, and business disruption, emphasizing that no admission of wrongdoing was made. The decision sparked significant backlash from CBS News staff, journalism advocates, and legislators, who warned it set a dangerous precedent threatening press freedom and the independence of investigative journalism. CBS News employees expressed mixed feelings of relief that no apology was required but also disgust that corporate executives settled a case many considered baseless. Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the settlement as a threat to the First Amendment and accused Paramount’s owners of prioritizing financial gain over democratic principles, suggesting the settlement was influenced by the pending Skydance merger requiring Trump administration approval. The Writers Guild of America East also condemned the settlement for potentially undermining journalists' ability to report on powerful public figures freely.