Trump is already shaking Paramount and Skydance down for more money

Surprisingly, the $16 million settlement and the cancellation of Stephen Colbert weren't enough for the billionaire President of the United States.

By Matt Schimkowitz | July 22, 2025 | 7:06pm

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Trump is already shaking Paramount and Skydance down for more money

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As we’ve seen time and again, bending the knee to Donald Trump opens the bender up to further humiliation. In one of his many, calmly and stately worded Truths, Trump posted that he “anticipates” Skydance/Paramount contributing $20 million to “Advertising, PSAs, or similar Programming.” This is in addition to the $16 million they just paid him and the presumed sacrificial offering of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. Trump’s claim has not been confirmed by Skydance or Paramount, but he says the contribution would be made by “the new owners.” At least, Skydance-Paramount can take solace in knowing that there will be “new owners.” Unless, of course, he changes his mind.

Per Variety, this isn’t the first time Trump has floated a higher price tag for the settlement. Trump initially sued 60 Minutes for allegedly deceptive editing of a Kamala Harris interview, seeking $20 billion. Trump settled for a much, much lower figure. But that hasn’t stopped him from inflating the value. “We did a deal for about $16 million plus $16 million, or maybe more than that in advertising,” he said on July 4. “So it’s a combination of 16 plus 16 plus. So it’s like $32 [million] to maybe $35 million.” Clearly, that’s the number that he has stuck in his head. But a win is a win, and he needs that right now as his base continues to clamor for information on his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. It’s more of an ideological win for him. In his words, the “Mainstream Media Liars, are ON NOTICE,” and the days of “them being allowed to deceive the American People are OVER.”