Judge Rules Against CBS and Paramount in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit as Legal Battle Intensifies

FIRST ON FOX — President Trump celebrated a significant legal win on Tuesday when a judge declared the motion to dismiss his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS and Paramount as ‘moot.’ This pivotal ruling allows Trump’s allegations of election interference and distortion of news reporting to proceed.

Trump initially filed a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News in October. The suit stems from accusations that the network manipulated the coverage of his ’60 Minutes’ interview, facilitating an advantage for his Democratic opponent through misleading edits shortly before the election.

Recently, Trump’s legal team revised the original lawsuit after the release of the unedited transcript and raw footage from the disputed ’60 Minutes’ interview. This amended lawsuit not only brings in CBS News’ parent company, Paramount Global, as a defendant but also includes Rep. Ronny Jackson from Texas as a plaintiff and raises the damage claim to $20 billion.

U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk dismissed the motion from CBS and Paramount, which sought to have the case thrown out on grounds of improper venue and failure to state a claim.

‘Plaintiffs add a Defendant, a Plaintiff, and a litany of factual allegations and legal claims in their Amended Complaint. Accordingly, the Motions are denied as moot,’ Judge Kacsmaryk stated in his court filing obtained by Fox News Digital.

CBS originally argued that Texas lacked jurisdiction, suggesting the case transfer to New York as an alternative venue. However, Kacsmaryk’s ruling keeps the case in Texas for now.

CBS and Paramount have 21 days to either renew their motion to dismiss based on the amended complaint or accept the current course of litigation.

Judge Kacsmaryk made it clear that nothing in his ruling should be interpreted as a judgment regarding the substance of the various arguments presented in the motions or the amended complaint.

CBS News did not provide a comment immediately following the ruling.

As Trump’s legal battle progresses, pressure mounts on CBS. Recent revelations from the FCC disclosed that CBS aired only segments of a pivotal interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. The network’s editing choices reportedly altered the context of her remarks on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s perceived disregard for the Biden administration, stirring criticism.

During an October 2024 interview, Harris responded to a question on Netanyahu’s actions, stating, ‘But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening.’ However, CBS only showcased part of her response in earlier broadcasts.

The transcript provided by the FCC indicates that Harris’s original comments emphasized U.S. efforts to elicit a response from Israel, but CBS chose to frame the airing of her responses inconsistently, resulting in public outcry.

New FCC Chair Brendan Carr initiated an investigation, requiring CBS to submit unedited transcripts. This investigation followed a complaint claiming that CBS broke the FCC’s news distortion policy.

In the involved segments, Harris elaborated on the administration’s diplomatic maneuvers, stating, ‘The work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.’

The editing decisions by CBS drew sharp reactions from critics, especially from conservatives who labeled Harris’s prior extended response as ‘word salad’. Viewers noted a stark difference when CBS presented her answers the following night during the primetime special.

The vice president’s more succinct reply in the evening broadcast received praise, showcasing a contrast to the earlier version. Critics accused CBS of editing her original response to shield her from potential backlash, leading to increased calls for the release of the unedited transcript.

Notably, CBS initially withheld the raw transcript, raising eyebrows until the FCC intervened.

As the legal saga unfolds, CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, reportedly considers a settlement to preempt potential repercussions from Trump’s administration at the FCC, particularly as they engage in a planned merger with Skydance Media. Shari Redstone, Paramount’s controlling shareholder, is believed to support a settlement to mitigate potential risks.

This report includes contributions from Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn.