Donald Trump has won a high-profile court case against one of the major media corporations in the US, and the prize is significant.
Donald Trump is used to making deals and going to court. This time, the president came out on top.
In a court battle with Trump over an edited interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris that appeared on the popular news show 60 Minutes, Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, has finally agreed to pay $16 million.
Trump stated that the network shortened the interview on purpose to make Harris look smarter and more put together, which gave her an unfair edge in the presidential race.
As part of the settlement, CBS and Paramount don’t have to say they’re sorry or admit they did anything wrong. They do, however, have to pay a lot of money, which is supposed to be for Trump’s legal fees and to save money for his future presidential library.
Trump’s lawyer claimed, “CBS and Paramount Global knew how strong this case was and had to settle.”
The interview that began it all
The case is about two interviews with Kamala Harris: one that was on Face the Nation and one that was on 60 Minutes. Trump added that Harris’s answer to a question about the Biden administration’s attitude on the Israel-Gaza conflict was changed to hide her so-called “word salad” and stop people from getting upset.
Trump’s lawyer argued that the way CBS cut the interview hurt the president a lot emotionally, saying he went through “mental anguish” because of it.
CBS said that the editing was standard and done for time considerations, and they said they had no malicious motives.
A CBS spokesperson said, “The broadcast was not changed or misleading.”
Trump chose not to conduct an interview with 60 Minutes during the campaign.
Trump’s lawsuit, which started out asking for an incredible $10 billion in damages and eventually went up to $20 billion, alleged that the network was trying to “tip the scales in favor of the Democratic party.”
A fight in the news
The court case became public in October, and it grew worse when Trump’s lawyers said it wasn’t just about one interview; it was about “holding the Fake News media accountable.”
After the deal, Trump’s press secretary remarked, “A win for the people of the United States.” “President Trump will always make sure that no one lies to the American people.”
The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times both allege that Paramount’s decision to settle was affected by its ongoing efforts to merge with Skydance Media. The Wall Street Journal said that the CEOs wanted the merger to happen swiftly because the Federal Communications Commission was looking into it and Trump could make it harder for it to happen.
The company, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy the rumors. “This case has nothing to do with the Skydance purchase or how the Federal Communications Commission gives things the go light. They answered, “We will follow the law to protect our case.”
60 Minutes will also make full transcripts of interviews with future presidential contenders available as part of the contract. This is seen as a direct response to Trump’s team’s concerns about openness.
Fallout at CBS
The case has already had a big effect on CBS.
During the month-long talks, it is said that several high-level personnel, including CEO Wendy McMahon, quit. People inside reported that the shake-up happened because they didn’t say sorry to Trump.
McMahon claimed she was departing on May 19. She quit months after Bill Owens, the executive producer of 60 Minutes, left. She said she couldn’t be an impartial journalist during Trump’s lawsuit.
There were also growing concerns behind the scenes that the payment may be seen as a bribe to a public official because Trump had a big part in the merger of the media firms.
CBS stuck to its editorial standards, but in the end, it gave in to the settlement. This is just one of the many recent things the media has given in to Trump. The president also recently settled a slander case against ABC News, which is owned by Disney.
You can think of it as a media reckoning or a political pressure play, but one thing is clear: Donald Trump isn’t backing down from what he calls the “Fake News media.” He made millions this time.
