Paramount Settles $16M Trump Lawsuit Amid Biden Interview Editing Concerns

CBS and its parent company Paramount Global settled a $16 million lawsuit with President Donald Trump concerning the allegedly deceptive editing of a 2024 "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Former Paramount non-executive chairwoman Shari Redstone revealed that the settlement was influenced by concerns over another "60 Minutes" interview with President Joe Biden, during which he appeared drowsy and required prompting to answer questions. Redstone and her son feared that discovery in the lawsuit could expose raw footage and internal communications revealing Biden's condition, potentially damaging CBS News's reputation. Scott Pelley, the "60 Minutes" correspondent, acknowledged on air that Biden seemed tired but framed it sympathetically, attributing it to a demanding week. The settlement avoided a protracted legal battle and coincided with Paramount's $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. These revelations have fueled debate about media coverage of Biden's mental capacity and CBS's editorial decisions during the politically charged 2024 election cycle.