President Donald Trump has announced a $36 million legal settlement with CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, following his defamation lawsuit over the editing of a 60 Minutes segment that featured Vice President Kamala Harris.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said the agreement includes a $16 million cash payout from Paramount, as well as an expected $20 million worth of advertising or media value from Skydance Media, which is in the process of acquiring Paramount.
Trump claimed the segment had been manipulated to falsely portray Kamala Harris as more competent on foreign policy than she actually appeared in the original footage.
According to Trump, the network spliced together two separate interviews—one from Face the Nation and another from 60 Minutes—in a way that misled viewers about Harris’s grasp of international affairs.
He declared the settlement a major win against what he called the “fake news media,” saying the case marked a turning point in holding media outlets accountable for “deception.”
Though Paramount confirmed the $16 million payout and stated that the lawsuit had been formally dropped, the company denied any wrongdoing and did not acknowledge any agreement regarding future advertising contributions.
Trump, however, insisted that the $20 million in additional value would come from Skydance Media once their takeover is finalized.
The legal battle and settlement have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden have raised concerns over the timing of the settlement and whether the ad component may have been offered to help push the Skydance-Paramount merger through federal regulatory approval. They are pressing for transparency in the merger process, citing possible political interference.
The settlement has also triggered backlash from media figures and journalists. Former CBS News president Bill Owens warned that deals like this could set a dangerous precedent, where political pressure leads to editorial changes or corporate payouts that undermine journalistic independence.
Veteran anchor Dan Rather echoed those concerns, calling the settlement a “deeply troubling moment” for American media.
While the White House has not officially commented on the matter, the announcement has sent shockwaves through both political and media circles.
With Trump already signaling more lawsuits against what he refers to as “dishonest media outlets,” this case could be the first of many in a broader strategy to challenge and reshape press accountability standards during his second term.
