Paramount to Pay Trump Additional $20 Million
CBS and its parent company, Paramount, have decided to pay President Donald Trump an extra $20 million, adding to the $16 million already earmarked for his presidential library. Trump shared this announcement on his Social Post of Truth on Tuesday.
In his post, he commented, “CBS and its business owners knew they had scammed Americans and were eager to settle down.” He further labeled this as “another long victory over fake news media,” while emphasizing the need to address the widespread fraud and deception in the industry.
Earlier in July, Paramount had already agreed to a $16 million payment to Trump’s library as part of a settlement over a lawsuit related to a series of “60 Minutes” interviews featuring former Vice President Kamala Harris.
In his lawsuit, Trump sought $10 billion in damages, criticizing the network for what he called “deliberate deceptions” involving Harris’s comments on the conflict in Gaza. Notably, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a fully edited version of the October 2024 interview earlier this year, following an investigative review initiated by Commissioner Brendan Kerr last October.
The full edit—nearly double the length of what “60 Minutes” originally broadcast—showed a starkly different response from Harris regarding Israel than what was initially aired.
When “60 Minutes” journalist Bill Whitaker asked Harris about the U.S. influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, her provided response, as aired, seemed limited. However, in a prior appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” she noted, “Well, Bill, the work we did has brought about a lot of movement in the area by Israel, and a lot of things, including a lot of defense of what will happen in the area.”
Interestingly, Trump’s lawsuit did not consider that portion of her answer, which questioned the judgment in news reporting and suggested deceptive manipulation.
This recent concession from CBS represents the second legal win against major broadcasters for Trump in just eight months, following a $15 million settlement with ABC over a defamatory lawsuit last December. Moreover, it poses another significant challenge for CBS, which recently announced the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” in 2026.
The situation has drawn various criticisms, particularly as Paramount Global moves forward with an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. Even Colbert himself has implied that these factors might have influenced the settlement decision.
