There hasn't been much, if any, good news for CBS News and their parent company of Paramount with now President Donald Trump having sued due to election interference involving an edited episode of "60 Minutes" involving now former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was at the time the replacement Democratic nominee. The lawsuit has gotten even worse for CBS News Paramount, though, as Fox News reported that Trump added another plaintiff, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), and upped the damages claim from $10 billion to $20 billion.
As Townhall has been covering, there's been pressure for Paramount to settle, and it looks like they might be willing to do so. The pressure has gotten even higher, given that the Fox News report also mentioned a judge won't grant a request to dismiss the case, rendering it "moot."
Last week, CBS News released the full transcript and unedited clip of Harris' interview, and it just makes Harris and the network look worse. Harris comes off as even more incompetent than we previously knew, which is saying something. It's also when Trump amended the lawsuit.
Per Fox News:
Last week, Trump’s legal team amended the original lawsuit after the release of the unedited transcript and raw footage of its controversial "60 Minutes" interview. The lawsuit added CBS News' parent company, Paramount Global, as a defendant, citing how the "60 Minutes" election special was platformed on its Paramount+ streaming service. The lawsuit added Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, as a plaintiff and increased the damages claim to $20 billion.
U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk denied a motion from CBS and Paramount seeking to dismiss for failing to state a claim and for improper venue.
"Plaintiffs add a Defendant, a Plaintiff, and a litany of factual allegations and legal claims in their Amended Complaint. Accordingly, the Motions are denied as moot," Kacsmaryk ruled in a court filing obtained by Fox News Digital.
CBS sought to dismiss the case because it believes Texas is an improper venue, with the case being transferred from Texas to New York as an alternative. Kacsmaryk’s ruling means it will remain in Texas for the time being.
CBS and Paramount have 21 days to renew the motion to dismiss based on the amended complaint.
Kacsmaryk added, "Nothing in this Order shall be construed as a determination on the merits of either Plaintiffs’ or Defendants’ substantive arguments and claims in the Motions or Amended Complaint."
Fox News also stressed how the pressure has increased for a settlement, and that certainly seems to be valid. Last month's report from The New York Times brought up details involving a merger that Paramount is hoping for. They "believe that settling the lawsuit would increase the odds that the Trump administration does not block or delay their planned multibillion-dollar merger with another company, according to several people with knowledge of the matter," that report mentioned.
This would not be the only legal victory Trump has scored against the media in recent months. Last December, Trump achieved a major win before he even took office, as ABC News settled for $15 million after George Stephanopoulos insisted during an episode of "This Week" that Trump had been found "liable for rape." Stephanopoulos had also been reportedly warned not to make such a claim. Late last month, Meta also agreed to a $25 million settlement after Trump sued after he was suspended from Facebook and Instagram in 2021.
Jackson spoke about joining the lawsuit from his X account earlier this week. Coverage from a local news outlet, KFDA, is included in the post, and mentioned that the congressman "joined the suit saying he lives in the Amarillo’s federal Northern District where the suit is filed and has been injured by the interview making it proper for the case to be in the Northern District."
I was more than happy to join President Trump in this lawsuit against FAKE NEWS CBS!
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) February 11, 2025
CBS sliced and diced lyin’ Kamala’s interview to make her seem coherent. There is a STAGGERING difference in what was aired and what was on film.
This is the biggest SCANDAL in broadcast…
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