President Donald Trump is reportedly demanding that Paramount, the parent company of CBS News, pay him even more in ongoing settlement negotiations over a lawsuit that legal experts have labeled frivolous.
Paramount is attempting to arrange the payment to Trump while his administration has the power to approve a multibillion-dollar merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, which gives the entire arrangement the appearance of an overt bribe.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Paramount offered to settle the suit for $15 million, but that Trump is demanding $25 million and an apology from CBS News. Trump has claimed that the network edited a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 and that the act interfered in the election.
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Trump declined to sit down for an interview with CBS on the same program and stormed off the set during his “60 Minutes” interview in 2020 after he was asked a tough series of questions.
Experts on media law have said the suit against CBS is without merit. Despite this, Paramount has pursued a settlement with Trump in the apparent belief that a payoff will clear a path to approval of their proposed merger.
The decision to bend to Trump, which previous reports say has the approval of lead Paramount shareholder Shari Redstone—despite pushback from the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders—has created chaos in CBS’ news division.
Bill Owens, the former executive producer of “60 Minutes,” quit in April and said in a memo to staff that it had “become clear I would not be allowed to run the show” and was not allowed to make “independent decisions” on news content for the program.
Wendy McMahon, former CEO/president of CBS News
Then in May, Wendy McMahon left her role as the CEO/president of CBS News. In her departure memo, McMahon said, “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward. It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”
The CBS/Paramount concessions to Trump are part of an ongoing theme of capitulation at the highest levels of the mainstream media since his 2024 election victory.
In December, ABC News parent Disney decided to donate $15 million to Trump’s presidential library and apologize for comments by host George Stephanopoulos. Previously, Trump had filed a lawsuit against the network that legal experts found dubious—similar to the CBS suit.
Meanwhile, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos attended Trump’s inauguration, donated to his inaugural committee, and announced a new MAGA-friendly editorial line for the Washington Post, which he owns. Multiple staffers have since departed in protest of the moves, and Trump has praised Bezos and the Post for their support.
Some media organizations are pushing back. NPR filed a lawsuit against Trump on Tuesday and accused him of trying to take away their First Amendment rights by pushing to defund them, PBS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
But that has been the exception to the norm. Mainstream press continues to knuckle under to Trump while he elevates the stature of conspiracy-minded pro-Trump media, seeking to replace honest journalism with sycophantic propaganda. It is working.
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