Paramount, Trump in Advanced Talks to Settle ’60 Minutes’ Lawsuit
July 1, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump and Paramount Global reportedly are in advanced talks to settle a $20 billion election interference lawsuit that has stymied the media giant’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
According to Reuters, which cited a senior Paramount executive, the consensus within the corporate parent to Paramount Pictures and Paramount+ subscription streaming service, among other properties, is that a deal seems on the horizon.
Trump initially sued Paramount’s CBS News for $10 billion, alleging the network’s “60 Minutes” weekly news show had selectively edited a pre-election interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris — who was running against Trump in the 2024 race — to make her look better in order to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party.”
CBS denied the accusation, going so far as to provide a full transcript of the interview. Trump then upped his demand to $20 billion, claiming the show had hurt his personal businesses, including his social media platform.
CBS called the lawsuit “completely without merit” and an affront to the First Amendment.
The Wall Street Journal last week reported that a mediator had proposed a $20 million settlement, while Paramount refused to issue a formal apology to Trump.
The president previously settled a separate defamation suit with ABC News for $15 million, while Meta and X paid $25 million and $10 million, respectively, to Trump for banning him from their platforms following the Jan. 6, 2021, protests at Congress.
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