US President Donald Trump has reached a $16 million settlement with Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News, over allegations of deceptive editing in a pre-election interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The settlement comes after Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit in October, claiming that the CBS program 60 Minutes manipulated footage to benefit the Democratic Party during the 2024 campaign. The lawsuit alleged that CBS aired two versions of the Harris interview, presenting different answers to the same question regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict. Trump’s legal team claimed the editing was intended to “tip the scales” in favour of Democrats. CBS called the lawsuit “completely without merit” and had requested the case be dismissed.

Settlement comes amid Paramount’s $8.4bl merger push

Paramount’s decision to settle comes at a crucial moment for the media giant, which is pursuing an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media. The deal requires approval from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), currently chaired by Trump ally Brendan Carr. In its statement, Paramount said the $16 million would be allocated, at Trump’s discretion, to either his future presidential library or to charitable causes and not paid to him “directly or indirectly.” The company added that the settlement does not include a statement of apology or regret.

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The case, filed in Amarillo, Texas , a federal district with a Trump-appointed judge, entered mediation in April. Trump had amended the complaint in February, increasing his damages claim to $20 billion and invoking the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.

New terms for future political interviews on CBS

As part of the settlement, 60 Minutes has agreed to release full transcripts of future US presidential candidate interviews after they air, with redactions only for legal or national security concerns. Trump’s legal spokesperson hailed the agreement as a win for accountability in journalism. “This is another win for the American people as he, once again, holds the Fake News media accountable for their wrongdoing and deceit,” the legal team said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.

However, the settlement has drawn criticism from lawmakers, including Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Ron Wyden. In a letter to Paramount chairwoman Shari Redstone, they warned that the payout could violate federal bribery laws if done to curry favor with Trump or his administration ahead of the merger review.

“Paramount appears to be trying to settle a lawsuit that it has assessed as ‘completely without merit,’” the senators wrote. “If Paramount officials make these concessions in a quid pro quo arrangement to influence President Trump or other Administration officials, they may be breaking the law.”

Part of a broader legal campaign against media outlets

This is not the first time Trump has successfully leveraged litigation against media companies. In January, Meta Platforms agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit over Trump’s suspension from Facebook and Instagram following the January 6 Capitol riot. ABC News also recently agreed to a $15 million settlement over comments by anchor George Stephanopoulos that Trump had been found civilly liable for rape, a claim that Trump’s team disputed. Most recently, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem threatened legal action against CNN over reports critical of an immigration-related app and the administration’s statements on Iran’s nuclear program. The settlement with Paramount is expected to fuel debate over the role of corporate media, political influence, and the future of press freedom as the 2024 presidential election approaches.