Trump Expresses Support for David Ellison’s Takeover of Paramount and CBS, but His Lawsuit Against ‘60 Minutes’ Stands in the Way

President Trump is praising the chief executive of Skydance Media, David Ellison, voicing his support for the tech scion taking over Paramount Global. But the president’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS, which Paramount executives reportedly believe must be settled before Mr. Trump will allow the merger to go through, is an obstacle. Mr. Trump seemed to endorse the merger as he had some nice words for Mr. Ellison, the scion of the co-founder of Oracle, Larry Ellison, a supporter of the 47th president and the fourth richest American. “Ellison’s great,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday.. “He’ll do a great job with it.”Mr. Trump’s attorneys also signaled late last week in a court filing that they are in active settlement talks regarding the lawsuit, suggesting that they’re still open to a settlement.An aerial view of the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood. David McNew/Getty ImagesMr. Ellison was seated near Mr. Trump at a UFC event in New Jersey earlier this month, the second time the two men were seen at a UFC event this year, the previous being in Miami. At both events, Mr. Ellison was reportedly the guest of the Hollywood power broker who owns UFC, Ari Emmanuel, who is trying to help the Skydance-Paramount deal go through. The president’s kind words about Mr. Ellison come as Variety reported that the two men had a “heated exchange” at the UFC event, which ended with a “firm handshake.” The meet-up may have been a do-over from Mr. Ellison’s previous UFC visit, where he and the president were very close to each other but barely interacted — perhaps because Elon Musk was at Mr. Trump’s side.Skydance did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.Paramount and Skydance are seeking to close their deal to merge, which requires the approval of the Federal Communications Commission because it involves the transfer of CBS’s broadcast license. However, the regulatory agency’s review of the deal appears to have been on hold as Mr. Trump’s lawsuit against CBS for the editing of Vice President Harris’s October 2024 interview with “60 Minutes” drags on. The president insists the interview was edited to hurt him and help Ms. Harris by removing what critics call a “word salad” from the beginning of her answer to a question about Israel. CBS denies that its editing was deceptive and has repeatedly tried and failed to get the lawsuit dismissed. Mr. Trump has fought to keep the lawsuit alive, as he said he suffered “mental anguish” from the interview.President Trump is suing CBS for $20 billion over how it edited its interview with Kamala Harris. Via CBS Left-wing journalists and scholars have speculated that the deal is being held up until Mr. Trump’s lawsuit is settled. Paramount’s board reportedly believes that settling the lawsuit would pave the way for the FCC to approve the Skydance deal. On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said, “What [CBS News] did was they interviewed Kamala, her answer was horrendous, I would say election threatening.”“They took the entire answer out, and they took another answer from another question and put it in. And they did that, I understand, a number of times. … We caught ’em, and they are very embarrassed by it, and they are working on a settlement now,” he said. While Mr. Trump is correct when he says that CBS News producers edited Ms. Harris’s remarks in a way that made her sound coherent, he has repeatedly misstated the exact nature of the edits. “60 Minutes” removed the rambling first part of Ms. Harris’s answer, but left in the back end, where she explained herself more clearly. CBS News did not insert an answer from another question, as Mr. Trump says. Still, media insiders have said the editing, which came at a crucial time in the election when the vice president was facing questions about her ability to speak coherently off the cuff, was unusual for a high-stakes political interview. Interviews with celebrities, authors, and other personalities are often edited for brevity and conciseness. But for CBS News to provide those services to a presidential candidate under intense scrutiny for lack of coherence and avoiding serious news interviews is ethically questionable. CBS News has been denounced by President Trump for its editing of the ’60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris interview. Via CBS NewsAs Paramount has tried to negotiate a settlement with Mr. Trump, the FCC’s review still appears to be on hold, and the Skydance deal is running up against a series of deadlines that could doom it. The president’s private attorneys filed a motion last week seeking to extend deadlines in the lawsuit to mid-July because “the Parties are engaged in active settlement discussions, including continued mediation.”The Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount’s board approved paying up to $20 million to settle the lawsuit. However, a veteran media reporter, Matthew Belloni, reported that Mr. Trump’s lawyers demanded as much as $50 million. And it is believed the president is also demanding an apology as part of any settlement.The prospect of a settlement roiled the news division and fostered tensions with the top executives. In April, the executive producer of “60 Minutes,” Bill Owens, resigned — it has been seen as a forced ouster — saying he had lost the ability to make independent decisions for the newsmagazine program. In May, the chief executive of CBS News and Stations, Wendy McMahon, also resigned, as she said she did not agree with her bosses about the “path forward.” Puck’s Dylan Byers reported she was fired due to her bosses’ disappointment with her leadership, but was allowed to resign to save face. The two ousted executives had reportedly said that an apology for the Harris interview was a “red line” they would not cross, according to a liberal journalist, Oliver Darcy.The Federal Communication Commission commissioner, Brendan Carr, testifies before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesMr. Trump seemed to relish their ouster, as he told reporters on Wednesday, “They’re all getting fired.”The primary producer of the segment, Rome Hartman, who is believed to have made the edits, is retiring. He told an interviewer he was turning 70 and his exit had nothing to do with his edit. Still at the company, though, is the chief “60 Minutes” correspondent, Scott Pelley, who has put himself at the forefront of the resistance against Mr. Trump.The departures of Ms. McMahon and Mr. Owens at CBS News appeared to signal that a settlement in Mr. Trump’s lawsuit could be coming soon. However, a settlement has not been announced. The Skydance deal is now facing a series of deadlines that could make it more difficult to settle Mr. Trump’s lawsuit.On July 2, Paramount is set to elect new board members, who would have to approve a settlement agreement if one is not struck by that time. It is not clear how the new board members, at least two of whom appear to be liberals, would vote. Paramount has been facing increasing pressure from Democrats and left-wing groups not to settle, as opponents of Mr. Trump warn it could be seen as a bribe to pave the way for the FCC to approve the Skydance deal.President Trump denounces CBS News in a conversation with Dan Bongino. Via RumbleThe Trump-appointed chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, has said that Mr. Trump’s lawsuit is unrelated to his agency’s review of the Skydance deal. The commission is conducting a news distortion investigation of the Harris interview, which Mr. Carr has said could factor into the review. Three powerful, left-wing senators — Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Ron Wyden — seem not to believe Mr. Carr’s statements and sent a letter to the nonexecutive chairwoman of Paramount, Shari Redstone, warning that a settlement could violate federal anti-bribery laws. Members of Paramount’s board have expressed concerns that a settlement could expose them to legal perils if it is perceived as a bribe, the Journal reported in February. If the FCC does not approve the deal by July 7, it would automatically trigger one final deadline, October 7, for the deal to close. If the FCC does not grant its approval by that time, the deal would be dead, and Ms. Redstone might be on the hook to pay a $400 million kill fee. The FCC typically tries to approve mergers within 180 days. According to the agency, the Skydance deal is currently on day 216. Scott Pelley denounces President Trump during his commencement speech at Wake Forest University. Via Wake Forest UniversityIt is unclear whether the commission, which is supposed to be an independent agency, would approve the deal by the final deadline. However, Mr. Trump has not been shy about weighing in on decisions from other independent agencies, and his blessing of Mr. Ellison’s takeover may put pressure on the FCC to wrap up its review before the Skydance deal’s final deadline.

Trump Expresses Support for David Ellison’s Takeover of Paramount and CBS, but His Lawsuit Against ‘60 Minutes’ Stands in the Way

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