Trump UNLEASHES Lawsuit — CBS Accused of Mental Anguish

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President Trump’s lawsuit against CBS over a “deceptively edited” 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris has Paramount reportedly offering him $15 million to settle, but the President is demanding at least $25 million and a public apology as his legal team claims he suffered “mental anguish” from the biased media coverage.

Key Takeaways

  • President Trump is suing CBS for $20 billion over alleged deceptive editing of Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview, claiming violations of Texas consumer protection laws and the federal Lanham Act.
  • Trump’s legal team argues CBS engaged in commercial speech not protected by the First Amendment, directly competing with and harming Trump Media & Technology Group.
  • Settlement negotiations are reportedly underway, with Paramount offering $15 million while Trump demands at least $25 million plus an apology.
  • The lawsuit coincides with Paramount seeking approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, creating political complications and internal tensions at the media company.
  • The case is being overseen by Trump-appointed federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who has granted multiple deadline extensions as settlement talks continue.

Media Bias at the Center of $20 Billion Legal Battle

President Trump’s legal team has fired back at CBS’s parent company Paramount in an increasingly contentious $20 billion lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris that aired during the 2024 election campaign. In court filings, Trump’s attorneys claim the network deliberately manipulated interview footage to present Harris in a favorable light while making Trump appear negatively by comparison. The lawsuit specifically targets an exchange about U.S.-Israel relations, where CBS allegedly aired different excerpts on “Face the Nation” and “60 Minutes” in a misleading manner.

The legal complaint, originally seeking $10 billion but later amended to $20 billion, alleges violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the federal Lanham Act. Trump’s team argues the editing created “widespread confusion and mental anguish” and diverted viewers and advertising revenue from Trump’s media ventures. CBS has released an unedited transcript of the Harris interview, maintaining the broadcast was “not doctored or deceitful,” while Paramount has dismissed the lawsuit as “an affront to the First Amendment” with no basis in law or fact.

“The fact that such commercial speech was issued by a news organization does not insulate Defendants from liability under the First Amendment,” the objection states. “The First Amendment is no shield to news distortion,” stated Donald Trump’s legal team.

Settlement Negotiations and Corporate Implications

Behind the scenes, settlement discussions are reportedly underway between Paramount and President Trump’s team. Sources indicate Paramount has offered approximately $15 million to resolve the lawsuit, but Trump is holding out for at least $25 million plus a public apology. The timing is particularly significant as Paramount seeks approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, creating additional pressure on the media conglomerate to resolve the dispute quickly and favorably.

“Because they were misled by Defendants’ false advertising and tampering with the entirety of the Interview, viewers withheld attention from President Trump and Truth Social by directing their attention to Defendants’ media platforms. This increased Defendants’ engagement, viewership, and advertising revenue, and decreased the value of President Trump’s ownership in TMTG and other media holdings,” stated Trump’s lawyers.

The potential settlement has raised concerns among First Amendment advocates, with the Freedom of the Press Foundation threatening to sue Paramount if they settle with Trump. Democratic senators have also warned of potential investigations, suggesting a settlement could be viewed as a form of bribery to secure merger approval. Meanwhile, internal tensions at CBS have reportedly led to the resignations of 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens and CBS News chief Wendy McMahon, highlighting the significant corporate disruption caused by the lawsuit.

Legal Arguments and Broader Implications

Trump’s legal strategy hinges on characterizing the edited interview as commercial speech rather than protected journalistic content. His attorneys argue that CBS directly competes with Trump Media & Technology Group, making the edited broadcast a commercial action designed to harm Trump’s business interests. The case has been assigned to Federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, who has granted multiple deadline extensions as settlement discussions continue behind closed doors.

“This led to widespread confusion and mental anguish of consumers, including Plaintiffs, regarding a household name of the legacy media apparently deceptively distorting its broadcasts, and then resisting attempts to clear the public record,” the opposition motion declares,” stated Donald Trump’s legal team.

The lawsuit follows a pattern of legal actions against mainstream media outlets by President Trump. He previously sued ABC News and George Stephanopoulos, reportedly settling for $15 million plus $1 million in legal fees. Paramount appears to be aiming for a similar settlement amount, though the added complexity of the pending Skydance merger creates additional leverage for Trump in the negotiations. Paramount chair Shari Redstone has recused herself from the negotiations, while the company prepares contingency plans should the Skydance merger ultimately fail.

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