President Trump on Tuesday boasted he had put mainstream media outlets “on notice” following a pair of high-profile settlements paid to his foundation by major news networks in recent months to settle lawsuits he has brought against them.
“Just like ABC and George Slopadopoulos, CBS and its Corporate Owners knew that they defrauded the American People, and were desperate to settle,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This is another in a long line of VICTORIES over the Fake News Media, who we are holding to account for their widespread fraud and deceit.”
Trump claimed he would also receive “$20 Million Dollars more from the new Owners,” in regard to Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance, value he said would be paid “in Advertising, PSAs, or similar Programming, for a total of over $36 Million Dollars.”
Paramount has previously denied agreeing to pay anything more than the $16 million it announced publicly earlier this month, and a representative for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s Truth Social post.
In December, ABC agreed to pay Trump’s presidential foundation more than $15 million to settle a lawsuit he brought against the network over a segment that aired on ABC’s “This Week.”
Paramount’s settlement came just days before CBS announced it would cancel “The Late Show” and fire comedian Stephen Colbert, a decision the company called financial last week and a move that is being widely viewed by critics as a capitulation to Trump.
Colbert, days before his cancellation, accused Paramount of paying Trump “a big fat bribe” while fellow comedian Jon Stewart, who hosts “The Daily Show” on Paramount property Comedy Central, cast doubt on his future with the network.
Trump sought on Tuesday to paint mainstream media outlets as fearful of him, calling out “The Wall Street Journal, The Failing New York Times, The Washington Post, MSDNC, CNN, and all other Mainstream Media Liars” who he said are now “ON NOTICE that the days of them being allowed to deceive the American People are OVER.”
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