Let’s be clear: there is absolutely no quid pro quo or pay-to-play arrangement between Paramount and the Trump administration. It just so happens that Paramount has agreed to resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against one of its companies, CBS, for $16 million, and in doing so, clears the way for the administration to approve the multibillion-dollar merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, The Verge reports. Proving that two things that are mutually exclusive can happen at the same time. Trump filed suit against the network and the show 60 Minutes, claiming that the news show edited then-presidential hopeful Kamala Harris’ answer to mislead voters. The President was seeking $10 billion, a sum that was later increased to $20 billion, in damages. Trump claimed the interview was misleading and deceptive. The truth is that both of Kamala’s answers (the original answer and the edited version) said the same thing, and interviews are often edited for brevity. Take a look for yourself below: But that didn’t stop Trump from filing the bogus lawsuit in October. In May, Trump changed his tune and was willing to drop the complaint for $25 million and a public apology. The agreement reached between the Trump administration and Paramount included the “release transcripts of future 60 Minutes interviews with eligible US presidential candidates, but specified that the settlement ‘does not include a statement of apology or regret, ‘” the Verge reports. The payment will not be paid out to Trump, but instead will go to his legal fees, and the remainder will be used to fund his future presidential library. A spokesman for Trump’s legal team stated to The New York Times, calling the settlement “another win for the American people” delivered by the President, who was holding “the fake news media accountable. CBS and Paramount Global realized the strength of this historic case and had no choice but to settle.” Legal experts called the suit baseless, but in doing so, the President placed pressure on the media giant to settle in hopes of having the merger with Skydance approved by the Trump administration. Paramount said that “this lawsuit is completely separate from, and unrelated to, the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval process,” and that it will “abide by the legal process to defend our case.” See, this was never a pay-for-play settlement, and Paramount just confirmed it. See social media’s reaction to the ruling below.
