According to Variety, Disney spent $15 million on President Donald Trump's future presidential library to settle the lawsuit initiated by Trump. The "big guy" in the media industry also agreed to pay Trump another $1 million in legal fees.
This arrangement took place at the end of 2024. In mid-2025, media company Paramount Global also agreed to pay $16 million to Mr. Trump to cancel a worth-20 billion lawsuit against CBS News (a subsidiary of Paramount Global).
Variety compared the two deals to the "marriage rings" or "kneel" actions of the two major media outlets against Mr. Trump.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Trump filed a lawsuit against CBS News' "60 Minutes" program for editing an intentional interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, then his presidential opponent.
Initially, the billionaire born in 1946 demanded compensation for the damage of 10 billion USD, then increased to 20 billion USD when amending the lawsuit in February 2025.
CNN said that Paramount Global gave way to President Trump to prepare the way for the $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. To achieve the merger, it would require approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), headed by Brendan Carr, who was appointed by the US president.
An American journalist told the Los Angeles Times that if there were no mergers pending, Paramount Global could win if it took the case to court.
Some people believe that the departure of former "60 Minutes" producer Bill Owens and CBS News director Wendy McMahon is enough to satisfy Mr. Trump's desire for an apology. Both directors have asserted that CBS News has done nothing wrong in handling interviews with Harris.
After negotiations, Paramount was persuaded by President Trump to negotiate a $16 million compensation, without needing to publicly apologize or admit wrongdoings. Low prices and the lack of public apology are considered beneficial for Paramount Global.
However, Paramount Global's concession caused a stir in the US media. CBS evening News host John Dickerson affirmed: The Paramount deal poses a new obstacle. Can you hold the government accountable after you pay them millions of dollars? Can audiences trust you when they know you have exchanged that trust? The audience will decide that."
The lawsuit also puts Paramount Global in a risky situation as they have not been able to reach a merger agreement with Skydance. If this merger fails, it will be difficult for any unit to invest and buy back Paramount Global.
Meanwhile, the reputation of "60 Minutes" was also affected. This news program has lasted for 57 seasons, still ranked as the most watched program on television and the most profitable program for CBS.
Former CBS News reporter - Armen Keteyian - opposed Paramount Global's arrangement.
CNN commented that for the media channels and other media organizations that Mr. Trump is targeting, what should they do?
