Donald Trump’s 60 Minutes Lawsuit Tick, Tick, Ticks On

Given Donald Trump’s reputation for petty disputes, particularly those dating back to a 2002 disagreement over beauty pageants, it’s important to remember that context as we discuss his ongoing legal battle with CBS News. As reported by the New York Times, President Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News is now set for mediation. Both parties have agreed upon a mediator, as stipulated by the court, and will strive to reach an agreement or, in Trump’s preferred terminology, a deal. This resolution will likely involve some form of settlement. Meanwhile, CBS’s parent company Paramount is working on a separate deal to merge with Larry Ellison’s Skydance Media. However, this merger is still pending approval from the FCC, where it could potentially face opposition from chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee.

In 2024, just before the presidential election, Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against CBS News, alleging manipulation of promotional footage for an interview with Kamala Harris on the 60 Minutes program. According to a report by The Times, during both the preview of the episode on Face the Nation and the actual 60 Minutes broadcast, CBS’s Bill Whitaker posed a question about the Middle East to Harris, but her response was truncated in the preview. Trump claims that the footage was edited to make it seem as if Harris provided a superior answer during the Face the Nation segment compared to what she actually said. CBS News maintains that their editing is protected under the First Amendment. On October 31, 60 Minutes released a statement denying any manipulation of the interview, stating that they presented the interview honestly and fairly, and not with the intention of deceiving viewers. They also declared Trump’s lawsuit against CBS as baseless and vowed to defend against it vigorously.

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2025-04-08 18:55