How Trump Sued Cbs And Won: The '60 Minutes' Settlement That Rocked The Media World, Explained

President Donald Trump sued CBS News and its genitor company, Paramount Global, successful October 2024 complete an question and reply connected "60 Minutes" pinch then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump accused nan outlet of deceptive editing and predetermination interference. 

The suit and its consequent colony person far-reaching implications and group disconnected a fierce statement astir media morals and accountability, arsenic good arsenic firm interference.

Fox News Digital breaks down precisely what happened — from nan last payout to speculation arsenic to why Paramount settled and what blowback nan suit has received since. 

What happened:

October 8, 2024: CBS '60 Minutes' airs 2 different answers from erstwhile Vice President Kamala Harris to nan aforesaid question | Watch

• Former VP Kamala Harris was mocked by conservatives erstwhile footage of her offering a lengthy "word salad" consequence erstwhile asked why it seemed for illustration Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasn’t listening to nan U.S. was aired connected CBS' "Face nan Nation" connected a Sunday to beforehand a typical "60 Minutes" sit-down. However, Harris' lengthy reply didn’t make nan type that aired connected "60 Minutes" Monday nighttime and a shorter, much focused reply to nan aforesaid mobility was shown instead.

Bill Whitaker and Kamala Harris. (Screenshots/CBS News)

October 18, 2024: Former FCC commissioner explains if CBS News could beryllium successful basking h2o complete editing | Watch

• The Center for American Rights based on that nan discrepancies by CBS "amount to deliberate news distortion — a usurpation of FCC rules governing broadcasters' nationalist liking obligations," and formally complained to nan FCC. Former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner Nathan Simington — appointed by Trump successful 2020 — said his privilege was to make judge nan nationalist was not misled.

October 20, 2024: CBS breaks its soundlessness complete editing allegations

• After Trump called for nan web to suffer its broadcasting licence complete nan editing, CBS put retired a connection saying that immoderate accusation of diplomatic editing from "60 Minutes" was "false," and that then-candidate Trump pulled retired of an question and reply — which nan Trump run denied. CBS besides stated that, "'60 Minutes' gave an excerpt of our question and reply to ‘Face nan Nation’ that utilized a longer conception of her reply than that connected ‘60 Minutes.' Same question. Same answer. But a different information of nan response."

October 31, 2024: Trump sues CBS News for $10 cardinal alleging 'deceptive doctoring' of Harris' '60 Minutes' interview

• News collapsed that Trump was suing CBS News for $10 cardinal successful damages, stating nan web practiced "deceptive conduct" for nan intent of predetermination interference successful its Harris interview. The magnitude was later bumped to a whopping $20 billion.
• Trump attorneys said nan suit was revenge complete "CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of predetermination and elector interference done malicious, deceptive, and important news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead nan public." Trump attorneys besides based on nan edits were done successful an effort to "attempt to extremity nan scales successful favour of nan Democratic Party arsenic nan heated 2024 Presidential Election — which President Trump is starring — approaches its conclusion."

February 5, 2025: FCC releases CBS News' earthy '60 Minutes' transcript

• Shortly aft Trump was inaugurated, nan Federal Communication Commission (FCC) released nan unedited transcript and video handed complete by CBS News of its question and reply pinch Harris. The earthy transcript showed CBS News had aired only nan first half of her consequence to "60 Minutes" astir Netanyahu not "listening" to nan Biden management successful a preview clip that aired connected "Face nan Nation," but aired only nan 2nd half of her consequence during nan primetime special.

President Trump's suit against "60 Minutes" and CBS News complete its editing of a Kamala Harris question and reply past twelvemonth resulted successful an eight-figure settlement. (Left: (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images), Center: Screenshot/60Minutes, Right: (Photo by Andy Manis/Getty Images))

April 14, 2025: Trump lashes retired astatine CBS News and "60 Minutes"

• Trump shared connected Truth Social that he was "honored" to beryllium suing "60 Minutes" complete reporting he deemed "fraudulent," and said nan web should "pay a large value for this." Trump past went connected to opportunity that nan web "did everything imaginable to illegally elite Kamala, including wholly and corruptly changing awesome answers to Interview questions, but it conscionable didn’t activity for them."

April 23, 2025: "60 Minutes" executive shaper Bill Owens abruptly quits

• "60 Minutes" executive shaper Bill Owens abruptly discontinue nan long-running CBS News programme and put retired a connection that it was clear he would not beryllium capable to tally nan show arsenic he had antecedently done. "So, having defended this show – and what we guidelines for – from each angle, complete clip pinch everything I could, I americium stepping speech truthful nan show tin move forward," Owens said.

May 9, 2025: Paramount, CBS News' genitor company, faces mounting pressure

• Lawyers for Trump and Paramount entered mediation, signaling nan company's imaginable willingness to resoluteness nan suit revenge by Trump. The question and reply received an Emmy information nan week anterior for "Outstanding Edited Interview." Democratic lawmakers made a nonstop plea to Shari Redstone, Paramount's controlling shareholder, to not settee nan lawsuit, saying it would beryllium a "grave mistake."

May 29, 2025: Trump rejects Paramount's $15 cardinal connection to settee CBS News lawsuit

• Trump rejected a $15 cardinal connection to settee nan suit pinch Paramount. The president's ineligible squad demanded different $25 cardinal and an apology from CBS News. Redstone had made it clear successful anterior months that she wanted to settee Trump's suit successful hopes of clearing nan pathway for Paramount's multibillion-dollar planned merger pinch Skydance Media, which needed support from Trump's FCC.

July 1, 2025: Paramount, CBS salary 8 figures, alteration editorial argumentation successful settlement | Watch

• Paramount Global and CBS agreed to salary Trump a sum that could scope northbound of $30 cardinal to settee nan president’s suit against nan network. Trump received $16 cardinal upfront. That was for covering ineligible fees, costs of nan case, and contributions to his early statesmanlike room aliases charitable causes, to beryllium wished astatine Trump’s discretion.
• There is anticipation that location will beryllium different allocation successful nan 8 figures group speech for advertisements, nationalist work announcements aliases different akin transmissions, successful support of blimpish causes by nan web successful nan future.

• Sources shared pinch Fox News Digital that CBS agreed to update its editorial standards to instal a mandatory caller rule. Going forward, nan web will promptly merchandise full, unedited transcripts of early statesmanlike candidates’ interviews. People progressive successful nan colony talks person referred to this arsenic nan "Trump Rule."

July 7, 2025: CBS genitor institution sparks monolithic outrage pinch Trump suit settlement

• Paramount Global and CBS’ eight-figure colony caused wide outrage crossed nan ineligible and publicity communities. Many ineligible experts and Paramount’s ain attorneys insisted nan suit was meritless, but CBS’ genitor institution settled it anyway.
• Figures nether Paramount's umbrella for illustration Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Scott Pelley and John Dickerson person not been hiding their insult and disdain passim nan process. Insiders besides told Fox News Digital they were furious and felt betrayed by institution executives surrendering to Trump.
• In an question and reply pinch Stewart connected Monday night, longtime "60 Minutes" analogous Steve Kroft said Paramount had fundamentally capitulated to a "shakedown."

Paramount Global and CBS agreed to settee President Trump’s $20 cardinal predetermination interference suit against nan network.  (Al Drago/Bloomberg, Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Reactions: 

• CBS SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP SLAMMED BY JOURNALISTS, COMMENTATORS AS 'APPALLING' SURRENDER
• CBS STAFFERS REVOLT OVER PARAMOUNT'S 'SHAMEFUL' TRUMP SETTLEMENT, 'BETRAYAL' TO THE NETWORK'S JOURNALISTS
• WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST TORCHES PARAMOUNT FOR SETTLING WITH TRUMP OVER '60 MINUTES' INTERVIEW
• BERNIE SANDERS BLASTS PARAMOUNT, SAYS LAWSUIT SETTLEMENT WILL FURTHER EMBOLDEN TRUMP TO ATTACK MEDIA
• CBS ANCHOR CLAIMS PARAMOUNT SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP POSES 'NEW OBSTACLES' FOR JOURNALISTS AT THE NETWORK
• ROBBY SOAVE RIPS MEDIA FOR 'PULLING PUNCHES' ON DEMS AFTER PARAMOUNT SETTLES '60 MINUTES' LAWSUIT
• SOUTH PARK' CREATORS RIP SKYDANCE-PARAMOUNT MERGER AS A 'S---SHOW', BLAME DEAL FOR DELAYING NEW SEASON
• EX-CBS ANCHOR DAN RATHER LAMENTS PARAMOUNT SETTLEMENT WITH TRUMP AS ‘SAD DAY FOR JOURNALISM’
• LONGTIME '60 MINUTES' CORRESPONDENT STEVE KROFT, JON STEWART BASH CBS’ TRUMP SETTLEMENT AS ‘SHAKEDOWN’

Fox News' Brain Flood, Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi, Joseph Wulfsohn, Brooke Singman, Hanna Panreck, Marc Tamasco and David Rutz contributed to this report.