Paramount Offers To Settle Trump Lawsuit Against CBS: Report
Paramount Global has offered $15 million to resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against CBS News after a month of settlement talks, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
However, the two sides remain far apart, the outlet reported, as Trump’s legal team is reportedly demanding over $25 million and a formal apology from CBS News. The report also noted that Trump has threatened an additional lawsuit over what he claims is biased news coverage by the network.
Paramount is preparing to nominate three new directors to its board in the coming weeks, increasing the total number to seven, according to The Wall Street Journal. One current director is expected to step down as the company works to ensure a fully staffed board in the event the deal collapses.
Read more: SHOCK Development: BIG Problem Found With Joe Biden’s Last-Minute Pardons
Both Paramount and the White House declined to comment immediately, Reuters reported.
In October, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS, accusing the network of deceptively editing an interview with then–Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic Party” during the election. In a revised complaint submitted in February, Trump increased his demand for damages to $20 billion.
Meanwhile, CBS continues to experience a collapse of sorts amid the Trump lawsuit drama.
Two weeks ago, for example, Wendy McMahon, CEO and president of CBS News, abruptly announced her resignation from the network in a scathing internal memo to staff.
Read more: ‘EXPLAIN THIS’: Liz Cheney in Hot Water After Discovery, Could Be Forced to Testify
In the memo, obtained by Mediaite, McMahon acknowledged that “the past few months have been challenging.”
“It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward,” she said. “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership.”
The resignation follows months of internal turmoil linked to Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, and her efforts to sell the company. Redstone reportedly attempted to influence CBS News coverage to appease the Trump administration and smooth the path for a sale, actions widely believed to have contributed to the resignation of Owens.
Read more: ‘Must Be Done’ – Nancy Pelosi Drops Bombshell About Her Future
McMahon publicly supported Owens after his departure, which he attributed to a breakdown in editorial independence at the left-leaning news program. Her stance placed her at odds with company executives pushing for greater control over its reporting.
🚨BREAKING🚨 CBS News President Wendy McMahon abruptly RESIGNS amid escalating tensions with Trump. pic.twitter.com/lnrNNDDQ18
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 19, 2025
The controversy intensified after President Donald Trump filed a $20 billion lawsuit against “60 Minutes” over its 2024 campaign interview with Kamala Harris, alleging deceptive editing. Reports indicate Redstone is pushing for a settlement.
Last fall, CBS came under investigation over the highly deceptive interview, which was conducted by Bill Whitaker.
Read more: Supreme Court Delivers 11th-Hour Emergency Decision – REJECTED
A complaint was filed by the Center for American Rights (CAR) against WCBS, which is a subsidiary of CBS New York for airing two different versions of the vice president’s answer to a question about whether or not Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “listening” to the administration, The Daily Caller reported.
During a preview clip of her answer that was posted before the interview aired, the vice president said, “Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by, or a result of, many things including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.”
But in the clip that actually aired she said: “We are not gonna stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
Read more: McConnell Whines About J6, Hasn’t Spoken with Trump in ‘Quite a While’
FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington said that the commission often receives frivolous complaints but said that this complaint has merit because the two versions are substantially different from each other.
