President Trump said he expects to receive a total of $36 million as a result of his lawsuit against CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris — confirming an exclusive report by The Post.
Trump, who reached a $16 million settlement with CBS parent Paramount from his lawsuit over the controversial “60 Minutes” interview, said he expects an additional $20 million in advertising and public service announcements from Skydance Media once it takes control of Paramount.
“This is another in a long line of VICTORIES over the Fake News Media, who we are holding to account for their widespread fraud and deceit.” Trump said in a social media post late Tuesday.
“We also anticipate receiving $20 Million Dollars more from the new Owners, in Advertising, PSAs, or similar Programming, for a total of over $36 Million Dollars,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
Earlier this month, The Post’s Charles Gasparino revealed that Skydance, the Hollywood production company behind “Top Gun: Maverick” and multiple “Mission: Impossible” installments, committed to airing public service ads tied to Trump-backed conservative causes in talks over settling his lawsuit against CBS’s “60 Minutes.”
The $20 million would come on top of the $16 million that current Paramount management agreed earlier this month to pay to settle Trump’s suit alleging election interference by “60 Minutes.”
CBS has previously said its settlement of the “60 Minutes” suit doesn’t include any additional compensation, such as public-service announcements. Paramount and Skydance both declined to comment on Trump’s latest social media post.
A Paramount spokesperson referred The Post to its previous statement which read: “Contrary to some news reports or media speculation, Paramount’s settlement with President Trump does not include PSAs or anything related to PSAs.”
“Paramount has no knowledge of any promises or commitments made to President Trump other than those set forth in the settlement proposed by the mediator and accepted by the parties,” the spokesperson for the media conglomerate said.
Trump sued “60 Minutes” and CBS News last October, accusing the network of deceitfully editing an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Harris to make her sound better.
CBS denied any wrongdoing or doctoring of her comments. The editing became an issue after CBS aired one version of Harris answering a question about Israel on “Face the Nation,” and then aired what it called a more succinct version on “60 Minutes.”
The legal fight has unfolded as Skydance seeks Federal Communications Commission approval for its deal to acquire Paramount.
Earlier this week, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison seeking details about any arrangement with Trump beyond the settlement.
“Is there currently any arrangement under which you or Skydance will provide compensation, advertising, or promotional activities that in any way assist President Trump, his family, his presidential library, or other Administration officials?” the letter asked.
People familiar with the companies’ thinking told the Wall Street Journal that Paramount and Skydance are anticipating FCC approval before the end of summer now that the settlement has been reached.
Last week Ellison met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and other senior officials.
In a regulatory filing memorializing the meeting, Skydance said it discussed its “commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints, principles that will ensure CBS’s editorial decision-making reflects the varied ideological perspectives of American viewers.”
Gasparino reported earlier this month that once Ellison takes control of Paramount, the company’s television properties will run between $15 million and $20 million of public service ads to promote causes supported by the president,” citing “a source with knowledge of the negotiations.”
“There is an anticipation of a mid-eight-figure sum that will be allocated by the network to PSA advertisements and other broadcast transmissions that support conservative causes supported by President Trump,” the source told Gasparino.
Paramount denied any knowledge of a “side deal.” In a statement to On The Money, a spokesperson said that “Paramount knows nothing about the alleged side deal between Trump\Ellison, had absolutely nothing to do with it, nor was it a part of what the board approved, and the mediator sanctioned.”
The president also sued Disney’s ABC for defamation and received $16 million and an apology after “This Week” anchor George Stephanopolous misstated the facts surrounding a civil judgment against Trump.
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