Paramount Board Clears Path for Trump ’60 Minutes’ Lawsuit Settlement

NEW YORK, N.Y. — Lawyers for President Donald Trump and Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, are set to begin mediation on Wednesday regarding Trump’s lawsuit that claims “60 Minutes” deceptively edited an interview with Kamala Harris, his 2024 Democratic opponent.

The suit, which demands $20 billion, alleges that the program distorted Harris’s comments to interfere in the presidential election. Legal experts describe the lawsuit as baseless, predicting a likely victory for CBS. Despite this, Paramount is reportedly willing to negotiate a settlement.

Following a meeting on April 18, the Paramount board established acceptable financial terms for a potential agreement, though the exact figures have not been disclosed. This development comes as CBS News faces internal turmoil, culminating in the sudden resignation last week of Bill Owens, the executive producer of “60 Minutes.” Owens cited increasing corporate oversight as a significant factor in his decision.

Trump’s allegations center around an interview aired last fall, where he claims Harris was provided a misleading context regarding her answers. He argues that the edited segment was strategically altered to support her politically, asserting it was a form of fraud against the American public.

CBS News has consistently defended the integrity of the broadcast, with the network stating that no deceit occurred in the airing of Harris’s interview. In February, they released an unedited transcript showing that the segment was presented fairly and without manipulation.

Amidst the ongoing legal disputes, CBS’s corporate parent, Paramount, is attempting to expedite its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, which is still under review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman, has indicated that the commission is investigating potential violations regarding the Harris interview segment, while maintaining that all options remain available as this situation unfolds.

As the mediation begins, Paramount has declined to comment further on the matter, and tensions remain heightened within CBS News regarding editorial independence.