Stephen Colbert Mocks Paramount Effort To Settle Trump’s Lawsuit

Stephen Colbert addressed the possibility that Paramount Global will settle with Donald Trump over his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS News over the way that 60 Minutes edited an interview with Kamala Harris.

On Thursday’s The Late Show, Colbert noted that ABC settled a defamation lawsuit last year that Trump filed against the network over comments made by George Stephanopoulos. But Trump issued a new legal threat over the weekend over the network’s reporting on his plans to accept the gift of a $400 million 747 from Qatar. Trump’s lawsuit was settled for $15 million, to be given to Trump’s presidential library, plus $1 million in attorneys fees.

“You see Disney. This is what happens when you capitulate to an autocrat,” Colbert said. “He’s just going to keep coming back for more. Even kids know that. Haven’t you read if you give a mouse 16 million cookies.”

Colbert added that “thanks to this terrible precedent, Trump thinks he can extort the media wherever and whenever they do something he doesn’t like.”

He then noted that Trump’s lawsuit against CBS, owned by Paramount Global, is viewed by legal experts as a nuisance lawsuit. But the settlement comes as Paramount Global is seeking the Trump administration FCC’s approval for its merger with Skydance. Colbert then noted Jake Tapper’s reporting that CBS could settle for as much as $30 million to $50 million.

The prospect of a settlement led three senators — Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden and Bernie Sanders — to send a letter this week to Paramount Global’s controlling shareholder, Shari Redstone, warning her that such a payout may violate federal bribery laws.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am a proud company man,” Colbert said. “I love who I work for, and I will stand up against these scurrilous accusations that Paramount is engaged in corporate malfeasance … for the low price of $50 million.”

Then he added, “I’m joking, satire, obviously. I would never take a bribe from CBS is Donald Trump outbids them, because Mr. President, I am willing to testify on your side in this lawsuit for $50,000,0001.”

Then he added, “And remember. This is not a gift to me. It is a gift to the Stephen Colbert Presidential Library and Pizza Hut.”

Colbert addressed the potential settlement last week with Sanders, who had sent an earlier letter to Paramount Global along with other Democratic lawmakers.