Paramount proposes $15 million to settle CBS lawsuit, but Trump insists on a higher amount

With the court deadline to respond to a key motion about to expire, negotiations between Paramount Global and President Donald Trump remain at a standstill. After a month of talks, the parties have failed to come closer to resolving the $20 billion lawsuit the president filed against CBS News, a subsidiary of Paramount.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Paramount offered $15 million to settle the litigation. Trump's legal team, on the other hand, is demanding more than $25 million and a public apology from the network. The request for an apology has sparked internal friction, including disagreements with former CBS News chief Wendy McMahon, who objected to incorporating it as a condition.

Paramount's internal changes and strategy

Shari Redstone, Paramount's controlling shareholder, has stayed out of the negotiations. Meanwhile, the company is preparing to add three new directors to its board, which would grow to seven members, and anticipates the resignation of a current director. Paramount expects to strengthen its board of directors to be prepared in case the pact does not succeed.

Background with other media giants

Trump's legal offensive against big media has already gained precedent. In December, Disney agreed to a $15 million payment to a foundation linked to the president and covered legal fees following a similar lawsuit against ABC News and George Stephanopoulos. Recently, Meta and X settled for amounts ranging from $10 million to $25 million. Paramount is confident that staying in a comparable range would limit larger risks. However, they admit that giving up too much could open new legal and political battles for them.