Trump Wins Again as Paramount Funnels $16 Million in Groveling Fee over 60 Minutes Butchering…

There’s the usual corporate groveling, and then there’s Paramount Global sending $16 million straight to Trump’s presidential library fund after getting pantsed over a “60 Minutes” nothingburger. You don’t see this kind of public humiliation outside of early-2000s reality TV, and for once, the “fake news” crew picked up the tab. 

(Source: Giphy) 

In short, Trump demanded $20 billion for “emotional damage” after CBS’s “60 Minutes” aired an interview with Kamala Harris that was edited with the same finesse as the Wizard of Oz conspiracy. Was it a stretch? Of course it was. That’s the art of the deal, baby… aim for the moon, land on a gold-plated golf cart. He called the segment “deceptively edited,” which, if you’ve ever watched network news, is like suing Subway for putting too much bread in your footlong.

(Source: MSNBC) 

But alas, Paramount coughed up $16 million anyway. The kind of settlement you only write when you’re desperate to keep your merger dreams alive and not have your CEO dragged in front of a Senate subcommittee by Elizabeth Warren and her band of professional joy-killers. Of course, the settlement included no requirement of a formal apology. Hell, not even a free 7-day Paramount+ trial. But hey, a $16 million win is a win, nonetheless. 

The settlement also forces “60 Minutes” to release all future presidential interview transcripts. Let that sink in: One lawsuit, and suddenly CBS is handing over receipts like a shady pharmacy that just got raided. Investors should take note… transparency isn’t free, and neither is pretending you’re above the political brawl. Paramount’s board just told every future administration that they’ll pay as long as the counterparty doesn’t make it messy. 

(Source: Giphy) 

Meanwhile, the Senate’s resident sanctimony cartel (Warren, Wyden, Sanders… collect them all) is already threatening criminal charges if it smells even a whiff of quid pro quo. Warren’s out here calling it “bribery in plain sight” on Bluesky, because apparently the only thing more offensive than paying Trump is doing it without their permission.

For shareholders, this is somewhat of an embarrassment. The $16 million bill comes hot on the heels of ABC News shelling out the exact same amount to settle with Trump last December. Additionally, two senior CBS News execs have already resigned over the mess, which is what happens when you realize your legal risk management is worth less than a used Blockbuster membership.  

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In the end, Paramount just set the new cost of regulatory insurance. At this point, they will do anything to ensure the Skydance move doesn’t hit any more hurdles. Meaning, this is simply the price of admission for Paramount, and a big win for Trump. As for price action, there isn’t too much blood around the crime scene (yet), as PARA shares are only down -1.18% on the day. Of course, we could see more of a plunge as the news continues to unfold, but for now… keep your heads on the swivel and place your bets accordingly. Until next time, friends…

At the time of publishing, Stocks.News does not hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.