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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Donald Trump’s remark that “60 Minutes paid me a lotta money” referred to Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement of his lawsuit over CBS’s editing of a Kamala Harris interview. The comment came in an unaired portion of Trump’s 2025 interview with Norah O’Donnell, according to The Guardian. The settlement preceded Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media, but the reporting establishes timing—not that the payment secured merger approval.
What Trump said in the unaired exchange
Trump’s 2025 sit-down with CBS News correspondent Norah O’Donnell was his first “60 Minutes” interview in five years, The Guardian reported. The interview lasted 90 minutes; about 28 minutes aired, while a 73-minute extended version and transcript were published online, according to the report.
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The Guardian reported that the payment remark was left out of the broadcast. Trump said: “Actually, 60 Minutes paid me a lotta money. And you don’t have to put this on, because I don’t wanna embarrass you, and I’m sure you’re not.”
He then claimed the program was “forced to pay me a lot of money” because of how CBS edited Harris’s answer. Those were Trump’s claims about the dispute, not a court finding that the editing changed the election or that CBS acted unlawfully.
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Why Paramount paid $16 million
Trump sued CBS over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, alleging that the editing was deceptive and intended to help her election chances. Axios and The Guardian reported that Paramount Global settled the lawsuit for $16 million in July 2025. The reports say the settlement included neither an apology nor an admission of wrongdoing.
Axios reported another settlement term: future “60 Minutes” interviews with eligible U.S. presidential candidates would have transcripts released after airing. The provision allows redactions required for legal or national-security concerns. It is a prospective condition, distinct from Trump’s allegation about the earlier Harris interview.
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How the settlement fits the ownership change
The settlement came before Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance Media. Trump praised the new ownership during his interview, as The Guardian reported. That sequence may explain why the payment remark attracted attention, but the reporting does not establish that the settlement was exchanged for regulatory approval of the merger. Timing and praise alone do not prove a quid pro quo.
What the editing dispute does—and does not—establish
The difference between the broadcast and the longer online material drew scrutiny, including comments about possible Federal Communications Commission attention. Axios reported that a spokesperson for Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez suggested the editing could be questioned under a standard set by the FCC chair. Gomez, however, said initiating a complaint over the Trump interview would be inappropriate and that the First Amendment protects journalistic decisions from government intimidation.
Those were competing public arguments, not a regulatory ruling that CBS violated a rule. The reporting cited here does not establish that the FCC found wrongdoing in the interview or that the settlement was tied to an FCC decision.
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The key facts at a glance
| Question | What the reporting says |
|---|---|
| What did Trump mean by the remark? | He was referring to Paramount’s settlement of his lawsuit over CBS’s editing of a Harris interview, according to The Guardian and Axios. |
| How much was the settlement? | $16 million, as reported by Axios and The Guardian. |
| Did the settlement include an apology or admission? | No; both reports say it included neither. |
| Was it connected to the Skydance merger? | The settlement preceded the merger, but the reporting cited here does not establish that it secured merger approval. |
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