Last week, leftist news channel CBS reached a $16 million settlement with President Trump’s legal team over the controversial “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris from October 2024 when Harris was running against Trump for the White House. Is this a victory for Trump or a loss for media and freedom of speech?
Per the settlement’s terms, as reported by the channel, CBS would pay $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library project and cover the legal costs of the Trump team for the lawsuit that was filed just days before the November 2024 election. The channel underscored that the settlement spared CBS an apology and the money won’t be paid directly to President Trump.
On its face, conservatives took it as a win for both President Trump and MAGA as it sets a precedent of holding media responsible in matters of national importance. CBS was caught deceptively editing a few of Kamala Harris’s answers to make her look better and coherent in the days ahead of election – something that could sway the voters on the fence in her direction.
🚨BREAKING: Paramount, CBS’s parent company, agrees to a $16 million settlement in President Trump’s lawsuit over the edited 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris.
pic.twitter.com/aPrHJ3PVqp— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 2, 2025
While the editing fix couldn’t secure Harris a victory in November, Trump’s lawsuit was met with criticism by many on the left as an attack on media freedom. As expected, the news of the settlement was not taken very kindly by leftist publications and opinion-makers. NPR (July 2) called it “yet another bitter pill for independent journalism to swallow.” Brian Stelter of CNN termed it “an unsettling path forward for the American news media,” as reported by PBS (July 2).
Not all critics of Trump’s lawsuit and the resulting settlement are liberal. On the more centered and libertarian-leaning reason.com, senior editor Jacob Sullum opined (July 2):
The company’s surrender to Trump’s extortion vindicates his strategy of using frivolous litigation and his presidential powers to punish constitutionally protected speech.
Similarly National Review, which is considered conservative in its worldview, wrote on Thursday (July 3) that CBS’s settlement is a win for Trump but a loss for both media and the country.
But many conservatives welcomed the news and declared it a victory for Trump and MAGA over left’s political propaganda involving deception. They particularly celebrated the term of the settlement that would require “60 Minutes” to release transcripts of interviews with presidential candidates in the future. For conservatives, it would mean more transparency in presentation of information in such matters even when Trump is not in the Oval Office or running for any public office.
MAGA conservative John Strand cheered at the news of the settlement and called it “HUGE admission of guilt by wildly dishonest Legacy Media.”
WOW: Paramount/CBS set to pay $16M in settlement of President Trump’s lawsuit over fraudulent editing of Kamala Harris’ 60 Minutes interview
This is a HUGE admission of guilt by wildly dishonest Legacy Media
Make Accountability Great Againpic.twitter.com/wT3eZoCyTO
— John Strand (@JohnStrandUSA) July 2, 2025
