Chaos as CBS Fights To Dismiss Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit as Paramount’s Attempt To Settle Falters

CBS is once again pushing for a judge to dismiss President Trump’s lawsuit against “60 Minutes,” as parent company Paramount’s efforts to settle the lawsuit appear to have stalled over money and Paramount executives’ reported fears of legal problems.In a pair of filings, first reported by the Wrap, CBS, which does not appear to be coordinating with its bosses at Paramount, criticized the lawsuit — over how CBS News producers edited the October 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with Vice President Harris — as “meritless” and said it is an attempt to “evade bedrock First Amendment principles.”CBS’s lawyers say the “60 Minutes” interview and clip from the same interview — that aired on “Face The Nation” and CBSNews.com — which exposed the editing, are “fully protected editorial speech.”“The First Amendment applies fully to the news reporting at issue and bars Plaintiffs’ claims,” the filing states.CBS News has been denounced by President Trump for its editing of the ’60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris interview. CBS NewsMr. Trump is suing CBS for $20 billion, pointing out that news producers removed what critics called a “word salad” from the beginning of Ms. Harris’s answer to a question about Israel, making her sound more coherent. Mr. Trump says the edits caused him “mental anguish” and could have cost him the election. Lawyers for CBS have defended the editing and repeatedly tried to get the lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit is before Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative, Trump-appointed jurist in Texas who has so far been unsympathetic to CBS’s arguments.Even as CBS seeks to get the case dismissed, its parent company, Paramount Global, approved up to $20 million to settle the lawsuit, the Wall Street Journal reported, as executives reportedly believe that paying to resolve the lawsuit would pave the way for the Federal Communications Commission to approve its crucial merger with Skydance Media, which has been held up for months. In the latest filing, CBS’s lawyers also insist that Mr. Trump does not have standing, as they said his complaint relies on “intangible harms” that are “common to the public at large.” They warned that if the court decides he has standing, it would “amount to greenlighting thousands of consumer claims brought by individuals who merely disagree with a news organization’s editorial choices.”“President Trump has not plausibly alleged that he personally suffered ‘an injury to a commercial interest in reputation or sales,” the filing says.President Trump denounces CBS News in a conversation with Dan Bongino. Via RumbleIn a separate filing, CBS lawyers asked to dismiss the case or have it moved to New York from Texas. “Plaintiffs do not dispute that the filming, editing, and production work for the challenged Interview took place nearly 2,000 miles from this courthouse. They do not dispute that the Interview never referenced this state,” the lawyers wrote. “President Trump and Representative Jackson do not even allege that they watched the ‘FTN’ or ’60 Minutes’ Broadcasts from Texas when they aired. In short, there is no basis for jurisdiction or venue in this Court.”CBS certainly has reason to want the case moved to more hospitable climes. In the last year, plaintiffs filing lawsuits against the media in the south and southwest, where juries are more skeptical of news organizations, have secured favorable verdicts and settlements. Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against ABC News, which was settled for $16 million, was filed in Florida, as was contractor Zachary Young’s defamation lawsuit against CNN, which he won and was then quickly settled. NBCUniversal also settled a defamation lawsuit filed by a doctor who said MSNBC defamed him by airing false allegations that he performed mass hysterectomies on illegal immigrant prisoners.CBS did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication. President Trump is suing CBS for $20 billion over how it edited its interview with Kamala Harris. Via CBS The filing comes as it appears negotiations with Paramount to settle the lawsuit have hit a snag. The two sides have been working with a mediator but have not reached a resolution. A columnist for the New York Post, Charles Gasparino, reported last week that a $35 million settlement has been “delayed” because Paramount’s executives “continued to fear a potential legal backlash.”Mr. Trump’s lawyers have reportedly upped their financial demands, Mr. Gasparino wrote as he noted the president’s team has been seeking as much as $50 million to settle. The concerns about the settlement stem from allegations that it would appear to be a bribe, as a settlement has been seen as the key to the FCC approving the Skydance deal, and coastal legal observers view the case as “meritless” (Judge Kacsmaryk may disagree). The Trump-appointed chairman of the commission, Brendan Carr, has stated that the president’s lawsuit is unrelated to the Skydance deal. However, the FCC is conducting a news distortion investigation of the Harris interview, which Mr. Carr has said could factor into the review process. The agency typically tries to complete reviews of mergers within 180 days, yet an official website that tracks the progress of the Skydance deal shows that it is on day 221.Terminated: Wendy McMahon, CEO of CBS News, is exiting Paramount. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, FileLiberal journalists and Democrats have become increasingly vocal in their opposition to a settlement, and said it could be seen as a bribe, something the Journal and others have reported has made Paramount executives nervous. Mr. Gasparino wrote that Paramount’s board is concerned that its liability insurance may not cover potential legal expenses related to a settlement, as such insurance plans typically do not cover expenses when they involve allegations of a bribe.Three powerful, left-wing Democratic senators — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ron Wyden — sent a letter to the nonexecutive chairwoman of Paramount, Shari Redstone, warning that a settlement could violate federal anti-bribery laws. Meanwhile, lawmakers in California’s state senate, sent a letter to the former chief executive of CBS News and Stations, Wendy McMahon, and the former executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Bill Owens, asking them to testify about a potential settlement. Ms. McMahon and Mr. Owens were reportedly firmly opposed to the idea of a settlement, especially an apology, which a left-wing journalist, Oliver Darcy, reported was a “red line” for the two ousted executives. Mr. Owens resigned in April, saying he had lost the ability to make independent decisions about “60 Minutes,” which ended its season of resolutely anti-Trump stories. Ms. McMahon resigned in May, saying she did not agree with her bosses on the path forward. However, Puck’s Dylan Byers reported that Ms. McMahon was fired as her bosses were displeased with her overall management, not just regarding the Trump lawsuit, but she was allowed to resign to save face.The executive chairwoman of Paramount Global, Shari Redstone, on November 7, 2024 at New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/ Getty ImagesTwo “60 Minutes” stars, Scott Pelley and Leslie Stahl, said in recent interviews that Mr. Owens was seen as standing up to pressure from executives about editorial decisions at the newsmagazine program — ostensibly requests that were aimed at toning down its anti-Trump coverage to avoid irritating the president amid settlement negotiations. Ms. Stahl said she is “angry” with Ms. Redstone for Paramount’s attempt to settle the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Mr. Pelley told CNN’s Anderson Cooper he believes a settlement would be “very damaging” to CBS News. He also denounced Mr. Trump in a widely noticed commencement address at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.Mr. Trump is believed to be demanding, even conditioning, a settlement on CBS issuing an apology, which the network has done in previous instances when it aired false stories. While an apology and an admission of wrongdoing would help protect CBS from appearing to settle the lawsuit as a bribe to get the Skydance deal approved, it could prompt defamation lawsuits from “60 Minutes” producers if they feel the network is accusing them of acting improperly with the way the Harris interview was edited. CBS’s recent legal filings come as Paramount faces a series of deadlines that could complicate its effort to settle Mr. Trump’s lawsuit. On July 2, Paramount will elect new board members who would have to vote to approve any potential settlement. The all-but-certain failure to get the Skydance deal approved by its July 7 deadline means that the two studios will have one more extension to get the deal over the finish line — otherwise, it could die, with potentially dire consequences for the company and the thousands of entertainment industry professionals it employs directly and indirectly.The deal is seen as crucial to keeping one of Hollywood’s oldest studios intact, saving thousands of jobs. It would also give the Redstones funds to pay off their debts and walk away with about $1.8 billion. If the deal fails, the Redstones would be on the hook for about $400 million in kill fees, which experts on corporate transactions say the family will have difficulty raising.David Ellison, far right and leaning over, sits by President Trump at a UFC event in Florida this weekend. Via XAfter July 7, Paramount and Skydance would have until October 7 to get the deal approved. While the FCC seems to have made little progress in its review of the Skydance deal, Mr. Trump offered a glimmer of hope that the deal may sail through the approval process after a settlement, as he expressed support for the Skydance takeover.The chief executive of Skydance, David Ellison, is the son of the co-founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, a Trump supporter and the fourth richest American. Speaking to reporters at the White House last week, Mr. Trump said the younger Mr. Ellison would “do a great job” overseeing CBS after the merger.

Chaos as CBS Fights To Dismiss Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit as Paramount’s Attempt To Settle Falters

Chaos as CBS Fights To Dismiss Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit as Paramount’s Attempt To Settle Falters

More from the New York Sun

Trump and Xi Exchange Words of Friendship and Cooperation, Covering Differences from Taiwan to AI

Netanyahu Against the ‘Moral Cowards’

Netanyahu’s Barn Burner of a Speech Makes the Case for Moral Clarity Against Antisemitism

A Star Is Born in Rural France

Trump’s Personal Diplomacy With Xi Tests His Tactic of Using Tariffs as a Negotiating Tool

DSA Congressional Candidate Arrested at Anti-Netanyahu Protest as New Crop of Progressive Soon-to-Be House Members March in the Streets

Netanyahu Denounces UN Attackers of Israel: ‘Moral Cowards’ Who’ve ‘Succumbed to Mobs’

Manhattan’s Catholic TV Preacher, Fulton Sheen, Is Beatified in St. Louis

More from the New York Sun

Trump and Xi Exchange Words of Friendship and Cooperation, Covering Differences from Taiwan to AI

Netanyahu Against the ‘Moral Cowards’

Netanyahu’s Barn Burner of a Speech Makes the Case for Moral Clarity Against Antisemitism

A Star Is Born in Rural France

Trump’s Personal Diplomacy With Xi Tests His Tactic of Using Tariffs as a Negotiating Tool

DSA Congressional Candidate Arrested at Anti-Netanyahu Protest as New Crop of Progressive Soon-to-Be House Members March in the Streets

Netanyahu Denounces UN Attackers of Israel: ‘Moral Cowards’ Who’ve ‘Succumbed to Mobs’

Manhattan’s Catholic TV Preacher, Fulton Sheen, Is Beatified in St. Louis