President Trump has amended his lawsuit against CBS, effectively doubling the damage claim to $20 million for what he says was a deceptive edit of the network’s interview with Kamala Harris.
Trump sued late last year, saying “60 Minutes” favorably arranged the then-Vice President’s answers on the war in Gaza, a violation of state consumer protection law. The President amended that complaint in a Texas court late Friday night, adding an unfair competition claim under federal law, saying CBS harmed his Truth Social platform.
The move comes as CBS parent company Paramount has reportedly been considering a settlement. Trump settled with ABC last year for $15 million after he sued the network and George Stephanopoulos for defamation.
The Federal Communications Commission demanded a full transcript and video of the “60 Minutes” Harris interview, CBS complied, and the materials are now public. The assets demonstrate that CBS used different parts of her response for separate broadcasts of “60 Minutes” and “Face the Nation,” which the plaintiffs say was deceptive.
Trump’s lawyers also argue that CBS “tampering” included removing “word salad” answers that amounted to a “full-blown cover-up of an incompetent candidate.”
The new lawsuit is separately seeking $10 billion in damages on both the state and federal claims. CBS has sought to dismiss the lawsuit on multiple First Amendment grounds.
