President Donald Trump’s legal battle with CBS News has intensified, with Paramount Global reportedly offering $15 million to settle a high-profile lawsuit alleging media manipulation during the 2024 campaign. But the former president isn’t backing down, demanding over $25 million and a formal public apology for what he says was a deliberate attempt to mislead the American people and interfere in the democratic process.

According to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, settlement talks have dragged on for more than a month without resolution. Trump’s legal team is holding firm, insisting CBS News be held accountable for its conduct during a controversial interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris.

The lawsuit, originally filed for $10 billion, accuses CBS of intentionally editing the Harris interview to favor Democrats and mislead voters in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. In February, Trump’s legal team raised the stakes, increasing the demand to $20 billion, citing clear evidence of bias and manipulation.

Trump has since threatened further legal action over what he calls "systemic anti-conservative bias" in CBS News coverage, a sentiment widely shared among millions of Americans who are fed up with legacy media’s one-sided reporting.

The legal firestorm comes as CBS News faces unprecedented internal upheaval. Two weeks ago, Wendy McMahon, CEO and president of CBS News, announced her abrupt resignation. In a scathing memo leaked to Mediaite, McMahon admitted the network is in crisis, writing, “It’s become clear that the company and I do not agree on the path forward.”

Her resignation follows mounting pressure on Paramount’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, who has been accused of attempting to influence CBS News’ editorial direction—allegedly to appease the Trump administration and clear the way for a possible corporate sale.

McMahon had publicly supported former CBS executive Owens, who also exited after expressing concern about the erosion of journalistic independence under Redstone’s leadership. The departures mark a critical moment of instability at CBS News.

At the heart of the lawsuit is CBS’s editing of Harris’s comments during a 2024 campaign interview on “60 Minutes” with Bill Whitaker. Viewers were shown a version that diverged sharply from the original preview clip, sparking a federal complaint.

In the preview, Harris is seen crediting the administration’s advocacy with influencing Israeli military decisions. Yet in the aired segment, her remarks are reframed into a vague statement about the war’s end—raising serious questions about media ethics and political manipulation.

The Center for American Rights (CAR) filed a complaint with the FCC, targeting WCBS, a CBS subsidiary in New York. The discrepancy between the clips was so stark that even FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington acknowledged the complaint had merit, stating, “The two versions are substantially different from each other.”

Paramount Global, which owns CBS, is reportedly bracing for the fallout. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company plans to nominate three new directors to its board, increasing the total to seven, in anticipation of a legal standoff. One director is expected to step down as Paramount attempts to steady the ship.

The White House and Paramount have both declined to comment on the lawsuit or ongoing settlement talks, according to Reuters.

President Trump’s lawsuit against CBS represents more than a personal legal battle—it symbolizes a broader pushback against a corrupt media establishment that millions of Americans believe has operated with impunity for too long.

While CBS scrambles to repair its image, President Trump remains undeterred, committed to holding powerful institutions accountable and restoring trust in the nation’s democratic process. For now, all eyes are on whether CBS will issue a formal apology—or face the consequences in court.