Paramount to pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ’60 Minutes’ interview
Jul 2, 2025, 12:38 AM | Updated: 12:08 pm
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable at "Alligator Alcatraz," a new migrant detention facility at Dade-Collier Training and Transition facility, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Ochopee, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
In a case seen as a challenge to free speech, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.
Paramount told media outlets the money will go to Trump鈥檚 future presidential library, not to the president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology.
Trump鈥檚 lawyer said the president had suffered 鈥渕ental anguish鈥� over the editing of the interview by CBS News.
Paramount and CBS rejected Trump鈥檚 contention that the interview was edited to enhance how Harris sounded and had sought to get Trump’s lawsuit dismissed.
There was no immediate word from the White House about the settlement.
Under the settlement reached with help of a mediator, Paramount agreed that 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� will release transcripts of future interviews of presidential candidates, 鈥渟ubject to redactions as required for legal and national security concerns,鈥� CBS News cited the statement as saying.
Trump, who did not agree to be interviewed by 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� during the campaign, protested editing where Harris is seen giving two different answers to a question by the show鈥檚 Bill Whitaker in separate clips aired on 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� and 鈥淔ace the Nation鈥� earlier in the day. CBS said each reply came within Harris鈥� long-winded answer to Whitaker, but was edited to be more succinct.
The president’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, said that caused confusion and 鈥渕ental anguish,” misleading voters and causing them to pay less attention to Trump and his Truth Social platform.
Paramount and controlling shareholder Shari Redstone were seeking the settlement with Trump, whose administration must approve the company鈥檚 proposed merger with Skydance Media. CBS News President and CEO Wendy McMahon and 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� executive producer Bill Owens, who both opposed a settlement, have resigned in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the , a media advocacy group that says it is a Paramount shareholder, said that it would file a lawsuit in protest if a settlement was reached.
