CBS News Is Considering Reaching A Settlement With President Trump
Alright, folks, buckle up because this one’s got election drama, media spin, and a $10 billion lawsuit all wrapped into one. CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, are scrambling to deal with a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, accusing the network of election interference—and let’s just say, things aren’t looking great for them.
This whole mess started with a “60 Minutes” interview featuring Vice President Kamala Harris. The problem? The version of her answer aired in a primetime election special was way more polished than the one that aired earlier on Face the Nation.
In the original clip, Harris responded to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with one of her infamous "word salads"—a long, convoluted answer that left many wondering what, if anything, she actually said. Naturally, conservatives pounced, mocking the vice president for struggling to articulate a coherent response.
But when the same question aired later in 60 Minutes’ primetime special, her answer was smoother, more focused, and much less embarrassing. Trump’s team cried foul, arguing CBS had deceptively edited the interview to protect Harris from further ridicule and, more importantly, to influence the election.
The lawsuit states:
"To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news."
In other words, Trump’s lawyers are accusing CBS of rigging the narrative in favor of the Democrats—right before the election.
CBS Executive Producer Bill Owens, who runs 60 Minutes, is standing firm. At a staff meeting, he told his team:
“There have been reports in the media about a settlement and/or apology. The company knows I will not apologize for anything we have done.”
Owens is digging in, but here’s the kicker: CBS’ parent company might not be so willing to fight this to the bitter end.
Paramount Global, which owns CBS, is reportedly considering settling the lawsuit—and here’s why:
- They’re in the middle of a massive merger with Skydance Media, a deal worth billions.
- Trump’s FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr, has the power to stall or even block that deal if CBS is found guilty of election interference.
- Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is apparently in favor of cutting a deal with Trump to avoid regulatory headaches.
And it’s not just CBS that’s been forced to backtrack recently. ABC News and Meta (formerly Facebook) both recently settled lawsuits with Trump, paying him millions and even issuing written apologies.
ABC forked over $15 million, and Meta settled for $25 million—which means Trump’s legal team is on a roll, and the pressure is mounting on CBS.
With CBS facing a deadline to turn over the unedited transcript of Harris’ interview, Trump’s team is not letting this go. The question now is:
- Will CBS release the full, unedited footage?
- Will Paramount cave and settle to save their merger?
- Or will Trump take this all the way to court, putting CBS and its editing practices under the microscope?
Either way, this isn’t just about one interview. It’s about whether major media outlets deliberately manipulate news to protect certain politicians and influence elections—and if Trump wins this battle, the entire media landscape could be in for a reckoning.