Trump on Verge of Legal Victory Over CBS as Parent Company Weighs Settlement

The executive producer of 60 Minutes is standing defiant as CBS News grapples with a $10 billion lawsuit from President Donald Trump. Bill Owens, who’s led the program since 2019, made it clear in a Monday staff meeting that he won’t back down over the controversy surrounding a Kamala Harris interview, according to The New York Times.

“There have been reports in the media about a settlement and/or apology,” Owens reportedly said. “The company knows I will not apologize for anything we have done.” His bold stance comes as CBS News’ parent company, Paramount, considers settling the case.

In October, Trump filed the lawsuit, accusing CBS News of election interference over the way the network edited an interview with Vice President Harris.

The suit claims the network distorted her comments to help the Democratic ticket just days before the election.

The controversy centers on a clip aired during Face the Nation, where Harris was asked about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to listen to U.S. calls for a ceasefire. Her answer was a confusing, rambling “word salad” that quickly became a punchline for conservatives.

But when the full 60 Minutes interview aired, CBS edited Harris’ lengthy response into a much shorter, more coherent statement. Critics slammed the network for protecting Harris and accused CBS of covering for the vice president just before Election Day.

“The edit is perfectly fine; let’s put that to bed so we can get on with our lives,” Owens said, dismissing concerns over the editing. The network’s handling of the interview is at the heart of Trump’s legal battle, with his attorneys demanding the full transcript be released.

Trump’s lawsuit accuses CBS News of using its powerful platform to deceive voters by manipulating the interview to help Joe Biden. The lawsuit asserts that the network “crossed the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news.”

“To paper over Kamala’s ‘word salad’ weakness, CBS used its national platform on 60 Minutes to cross the line from the exercise of judgment in reporting to deceitful, deceptive manipulation of news,” the lawsuit states.

Trump’s legal team argues that the edits were designed to tip the scales in favor of the Democrat Party as the 2024 election loomed. “CBS’ partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference through malicious, deceptive, and substantial news distortion calculated to confuse, deceive, and mislead the public,” the lawsuit reads.

As the deadline to hand over the full interview transcript looms, CBS News remains under intense scrutiny.

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By Trent Walker

Trent Walker has over ten years experience as an undercover reporter, focusing on politics, corruption, crime, and deep state exposés.

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