President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Paramount has paid the expected $16 million settlement over his lawsuit against CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” while claiming he anticipates receiving an additional $20 million from the company’s new owners.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on July 22, Trump confirmed receipt of the $16 million payment, three weeks after Paramount agreed to settle the lawsuit that claimed CBS deceptively edited an interview with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. Trump stated, “We also anticipate receiving $20 Million Dollars more from the new Owners, in Advertising, PSAs, or similar Programming, for a total of over $36 Million Dollars.”
Attorneys for Trump and Paramount Global officially filed a joint stipulation of dismissal with prejudice in Texas federal court on Tuesday, formally ending the litigation. The settlement contained no apology but directed the $16 million payment toward Trump’s future presidential library.
Paramount disputed Trump’s claims about additional compensation beyond the $16 million settlement. The company issued a statement on July 2 indicating that the settlement does not include public service announcements or anything related to PSAs. Paramount representatives stated they are unaware of any promises or agreements made to Trump beyond those included in the settlement proposed by the mediator and agreed to by all parties.
The lawsuit originated from Trump’s allegations that CBS violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act through its editing of the Harris interview. Trump claimed the network used false, misleading or deceptive practices in commerce. CBS denied the allegations, and legal experts widely viewed the lawsuit as without merit.
The settlement comes as Paramount sought and received Federal Communications Commission approval for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media, an entertainment production company run by David Ellison, son of Oracle mogul and Trump ally Larry Ellison. While Paramount maintains the settlement is unrelated to the FCC approval process, Trump has referenced his “60 Minutes” complaint when discussing the merger’s status.
Three Democratic senators sent a letter to Skydance CEO David Ellison on July 21 questioning potential corruption surrounding the settlement. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Ron Wyden of Oregon raised concerns about whether bribery laws were violated and asked about arrangements to provide compensation, advertising or promotional activities to assist Trump or his administration.
The timing of the settlement has drawn additional scrutiny following CBS’ announcement on July 17 that it would cancel “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in May. CBS described the decision as purely financial, but critics argued comedian Colbert was being penalized for his anti-Trump humor. Days before the cancellation announcement, Colbert had criticized Paramount’s settlement with Trump as a “big fat bribe.”
The settlement represents part of a broader pattern of media companies reaching agreements with Trump. ABC agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit concerning alleged defamation, effectively ending the case a month before Trump took office.
Comedy Central’s “South Park” mocked the Paramount settlement in its season 27 premiere on July 24. The episode depicted Trump suing the fictional town of South Park, with a character representing Jesus Christ warning townspeople about ending up “like Colbert” if they fought the lawsuit instead of settling. The episode aired 10 hours after Paramount announced that “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker had signed a $1.5 billion deal to produce 50 new episodes over five years.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers responded to the “South Park” episode by dismissing the show’s relevance and defending Trump’s record. Rogers indicated the show has not been relevant for over 20 years and is attempting to gain attention through uninspired ideas.
Media advocacy groups have warned that Trump’s use of consumer protection laws against news outlets could circumvent traditional legal protections for the press. According to established defamation law, news outlets can be held responsible for reporting about public figures only if they knew, or had reason to know, that the information was false.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, responding to questions about the “South Park” episode at a public meeting Thursday, indicated he does not watch the show. Carr, who was appointed by Trump, also stated that the president believes a few major national media companies should not have the authority to determine what Americans are allowed to say or think.
The settlement resolves Trump’s claims that CBS improperly edited the Harris interview by showing different portions of her responses on “Face the Nation” and “60 Minutes.” An unedited transcript revealed that one part of Harris’ answer appeared on “Face the Nation” while another portion aired on the “60 Minutes” broadcast.