Former President Donald Trump has escalated his legal battle against CBS, doubling the damages sought to $20 billion and adding CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, as a defendant. The lawsuit, originally filed in October 2024, alleges that CBS deliberately altered an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes to present her in a more favorable light, constituting election interference.
The Allegations Against CBS
Trump’s legal team contends that CBS selectively edited Harris’s responses, omitting awkward or unclear remarks to make her appear more articulate and composed. According to the lawsuit, CBS broadcasted different portions of Harris’s remarks on Face the Nation and 60 Minutes, misleading the public about her full statements.
“Once Defendants finally released the unedited version of the Interview, it became apparent that they had engaged in gross broadcast distortion cover-up and manipulated not only Harris’s reply about Prime Minister Netanyahu, but the Interview in its entirety,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint argues that these edits were not merely standard journalistic practice but were intended to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Trump claims that CBS’s actions diverted viewers from his media platform, Truth Social, resulting in financial harm.
The Damages and Legal Grounds
Initially, Trump’s lawsuit sought $10 billion in damages. The newly amended complaint doubles the demand to $20 billion, citing additional claims under the Lanham Act, which covers false advertising and unfair competition.
“As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ misconduct, significant viewership was improperly diverted to Defendants’ media platforms, resulting in lower consumer engagement, advertising revenues, and profits by TMTG and President Trump’s other media holdings,” the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit also names Texas Representative Ronny Jackson as a plaintiff, arguing that he was harmed as a consumer of misleading news. The legal action coincides with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to reopen a news distortion complaint against CBS, previously dismissed but now revived under new FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
Is CBS or Paramount in Danger?
While the lawsuit represents a significant legal challenge for CBS and Paramount Global, most say it is unlikely to put them out of business. However, the case comes at a precarious time for Paramount, which is reportedly considering settling the lawsuit ahead of a proposed merger with Skydance Media, which would create and enterprise worth over $28 Billion. Settling with Trump may be seen as a strategic move to avoid regulatory complications under a potential Trump administration.
Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, is reportedly in favor of settling the case, fearing that an unresolved lawsuit could jeopardize the merger deal. Should the case go to trial, while the risk of a $20 Billion settlement is small, the result may be a failure of or a multi-year delay in the merger plans.
Trump’s Reaction
Trump has been vocal about the lawsuit, calling CBS’s actions “election fraud at a level never seen before.” He argues that the network intentionally misled voters and has called for CBS to lose its broadcasting license.
On his social media platform, Trump wrote that the lawsuit reveals a “gross broadcast distortion cover-up” designed to help Harris and hurt his campaign. “CBS defrauded the public,” he added, calling for the network to be stripped of its license.
CBS and Paramount’s Response
CBS has denied any wrongdoing, stating that its edits followed standard journalistic practices.
“We are posting the same transcripts and videos of our interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that we provided to the FCC,” CBS said in a February 5 statement. “They show—consistent with 60 Minutes’ repeated assurances to the public—that the 60 Minutes broadcast was not doctored or deceitful.”
CBS further explained that different portions of Harris’s response were used in separate programs for brevity, but the full context remained intact.
“As the full transcript shows, we edited the interview to ensure that as much of the vice president’s answers to 60 Minutes’ many questions were included in our original broadcast while fairly representing those answers,” CBS added.
Despite these statements, critics argue that CBS’s decision to air a shorter, more polished version of Harris’s answer on 60 Minutes gave viewers a misleading impression, shielding her from criticism.
CBS insiders have admitted that the editing decision was an “unforced error,” and some staff members are reportedly unhappy with the handling of the controversy.
The FCC’s Involvement
The FCC has launched an investigation into whether CBS violated the “news distortion” policy. Chairman Brendan Carr has called CBS’s actions “hard to explain,” questioning whether the edits were made solely for clarity or if they had an underlying political motive.
“CBS played the same question on two different programs and clearly the words of the answers were very different,” Carr said in a Fox News interview. “Was it edited for clarity and length—which would be fine—or are there other reasons?”
Democrat FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez has opposed the probe, calling it an intimidation tactic against the media. “This is a blatant attempt to chill press freedom,” Gomez said in a statement.
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications, not just for CBS and Paramount but for media practices in general. If Trump’s lawsuit succeeds, it could set a precedent for holding news organizations legally accountable for selective editing.
Meanwhile, Paramount is weighing whether to fight or settle the case. A settlement could allow the company to move forward with its Skydance merger without interference from a possible Trump-led FCC. However, legal experts warn that a settlement could also embolden future lawsuits against media companies accused of bias.
FAM Editor: It is clear the CBS is guilty of pretending journalistic integrity while perpetrating a fraud on the American people in a blatant attempt to influence the presidential election. Guilt is not the question. The question is how much in damages you can convince a judge that Trump deserves.
On the other hand, just filing this case is a measure of revenge for Trump, who has been persecuted by the mainstream media since 2015. I would not be investing in CBS, Paramount or Skydance for the next few months.
