Senator Bernie Sanders and his Democratic colleagues are urging Paramount Global not to settle Donald Trump’s $20 billion lawsuit against 60 Minutes, as they believe it would be a dangerous concession to authoritarianism. In a joint letter, Sanders and eight senators called on controlling shareholder Shari Redstone and Paramount Global’s board to reconsider settling with Trump for up to $75 million to resolve his lawsuit against CBS News over the editing of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris. Trump sued CBS News, alleging that the interview was edited to interfere with the election, prompting a legal battle.

The senators condemned Trump’s lawsuit as an attack on the Constitution and the First Amendment, accusing him of trying to intimidate the media. They praised Paramount Global’s initial motions to dismiss the case but warned against rewarding Trump with a settlement, which they believe would only embolden him to target media outlets critical of him. The senators emphasized the importance of defending press freedom and democracy in the face of such threats.

As the Trump administration intensifies its attacks on the media, with efforts to defund NPR and PBS and eliminate the US Agency for Global Media, Sanders and his colleagues are advocating for upholding journalistic independence and resisting attempts to silence dissenting voices in the media landscape. Their stance underscores the broader implications of Trump’s legal actions on press freedom and democratic values.