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A mediator has proposed a $20 million settlement in President Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global, according to a report Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.
The offer follows a previous $15 million proposal from Paramount that Trump reportedly rejected. The former president is reportedly holding out for at least $25 million and a formal apology from the network, which CBS has not accepted.
The lawsuit, filed by Trump earlier this year, alleges that CBS deceptively edited a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who was also the Democratic presidential nominee at the time. While it is common for news outlets to trim interviews for broadcast timing, Trump’s legal team claims the removed important context and altered the meaning of Harris’ answers for political gain.
Under the new proposal, $17 million of the $20 million settlement would be directed to a Trump presidential foundation or museum. The remaining $3 million would reportedly cover legal fees and fund public service announcements on Paramount’s networks aimed at combating antisemitism.
“President Trump is committed to holding those who traffic in fake news, hoaxes, and lies to account,” said Trump attorney Ed Paltzik in a statement to Fox News.
“CBS and Paramount targeted the President in an attempt to harm his reputation while committing the worst kind of election interference and fraud in the closing days of the most important presidential election in history. President Trump will pursue this vital matter to its just and rightful conclusion,” he added.
The case also threatens to complicate Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance Media, which may require federal approval from the Trump administration.
In April, Bill Owens, the producer of the CBS news program “60 Minutes,” stepped down following backlash after the lawsuit over the controversial editing of the Harris interview.
“My 60 Minutes priorities have always been clear. Maybe not smart, but clear,” Owens wrote to staff in a note obtained by The Hill.
“Over the past months, it has also become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” he continued. “To make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience.”